Orange Islands: The Next Step
by flblaziken
Summary: After her first journey in the Kanto Region, Summer decides to travel around the Orange Islands. There, she meets struggling Coordinator, a team of traveling entertainers, and a group bent on changing the current state of the Orange Archipelago. This story is loosely based on the Orange Islands of the original Pokemon anime. I hope you enjoy Summer's next journey! :)
1. OI 1

**Hello readers, and welcome to the next chapter of Summer's journey! This time, Summer will travel to the Orange Islands before participating in the Johto League. There she will meet a new friend, but also a new threat. This story will be shorter compared to the Kanto one, but hopefully still enjoyable :) The Hall of Fame will list those who have reviewed this story at least three times. I look forward to reading all reviews, and I hope you enjoy this story!**

 **Orange Islands Hall of Fame: Fancyyy, WyldClaw, Pokemaster3164  
**

 **Chapter 1- A New Task**

I sat in front of Professor Oak's videophone in his lab, talking to my friend Samir. "Have fun, and let me know how the translation app's working out for you!"

Samir happily responded, {I will! Thanks again, Summer!"}

After I hung up, I deeply sighed. It's been four months since the Indigo League, and my work with Professor Oak went by so fast. It was fun working with the esteemed professor, but seeing new Trainers coming to get their first Pokémon made me think about traveling again. The nervousness, then the excitement- I wanted to relive those feelings, but the next League was going to start in another four months. And, to be honest, I wasn't too sure about doing another one. The last one was pretty stressful.

"Hey, Summer. Are you okay?" Lightning asked as she walked into the lab.

I smiled, snapping out of my ponderings. "I'm fine, Lightning. Is it time for feeding?"

The Raichu nodded and showed me a filled metal bucket that hung on her tail. She'd been strengthening it every day since we arrived, and my other Pokémon trained on other physical aspects. I grabbed its handle, and we walked outside into the fields, where all the various Pokémon Professor Oak was studying were.

As I fed the hungry Pidgey and Rattata, Lightning inquired, "Is Blaze's training almost over?"

"Yeah. He should be done soon. Master Kiyo said Blaze was training harder than any Pokémon student he had before, so his sessions are going by faster."

The Mouse Pokémon excitedly squealed, but she quickly recovered to avoid any further embarrassment.

The young Pokémon then left, and we continued our rounds through the ten-acre grasslands. As I looked around the pasture, Rocky was asleep by the old oak tree, Flower was making flower headbands for the Oddish and Tangela, and Swirls and Errol were having a debate about proper pronunciation of words. Once all the Pokémon, including mine, were fed, I returned to the lab and placed the bucket next to the screen door. Lightning decided to hang out with her friends for the time being.

Professor Oak heard the door close and eagerly approached me. "There you are, Summer. I want to thank you for helping me the past four months. You are an excellent junior research assistant."

I beamed at the praise. "Thank you, Professor."

He then gave a sly grin. "I couldn't help overhearing your conversation with Samir. Are you thinking about doing something else?"

"I don't know, Professor," I honestly replied. "I finished everything I needed to with the Pokémon translation app. And I do like taking care of the Pokémon here. But…"

"You want to keep traveling, am I right?"

I guiltily smiled.

He lightheartedly answered, "I understand completely. In fact…" he dug out a piece of paper underneath the mounds of books on his desk. "Professor Ivy sent me a request for some notes on the Pokémon translation app."

I could barely contain myself. "THE Professor Ivy?! The one who researches Pokémon physiology on the Orange Islands?! I learned so much about her work for my research, and I loved her articles!"

Professor Oak chuckled at my excitement. "That's the one! She wants to see if the size of a Pokémon affects the pitch and speed of the translation. I would send them to her electronically, but she always prefers hard copies. Since you're thinking about traveling, why not go to the Orange Islands and deliver the notes to her as well?"

"Sure, Professor! I'm sure my Pokémon will be excited to travel again as well."

But before I could tell my Pokémon the good news, the older man inquired, "Will you be participating in the Orange League as well?"

I hesitated. "I don't know yet. I don't know much about it."

"You can do some research and decide when you arrive on the Islands. Now, you should get going. I'll arrange the ticket, so don't worry about that. It's the least I could do for all the work you've done for me."

I bowed. "Thank you, Professor Oak. For everything."

He grinned as I happily ran outside to my Pokémon, who were gathered at the pond's edge.

"Hey it's the Dudette!" Swirls shouted as she leaped out of the cool water, splashing Flower and Errol in the process. "Sorry, peeps…"

Flower just shook the refreshing water off while Errol ruffled his feathers, muttering under his breath.

Rocky noticed my ecstatic expression. "What is it, Summer?"

"Guys!" I announced. "We're going to the Orange Islands!"

The Poliwhirl happily jumped up and down. "About time! A new spot!"

"How far is it, Ms. Summer?" Errol politely asked.

I looked at my Pokégear. "It's far, but it's close to the Sevii Islands." Suddenly, the device vibrated in my hand. It was a call from Master Kiyo. "Hi, Master Kiyo," I cheerfully greeted. "What's going on?"

{Hello Summer. Blaze and I are approaching the esteemed professor's laboratory.}

"Wait, what?"

Before I got a reply, a familiar Pokémon descended from the sky and landed in front of us.

"Blaze!" Lightning ecstatically screamed as he calmly stood up. "We missed you so much!"

Blaze slightly blushed. "Thanks, Lightning. I missed everyone too."

I asked, "So, is your training complete?"

"Oh, it was," Master Kiyo explained as he and Professor Oak walked towards us. "He completed the training in record time."

"That's actually great timing!" I said, chuckling.

Blaze was curious. "What do you mean, Summer?"

"We're going to the Orange Islands!"

The Blaziken grinned, ready for another adventure. "I can't wait."

"Thank you for continuing the training session, Master Kiyo," I acknowledged, then bowed.

He returned the action. "I enjoy working with passionate students. I wish you and your Pokémon luck on your journey."

Professor Oak then handed me an orange ship ticket. "Here, Summer. This is for the _S.S. Orange_ , the ship that travels between Vermillion City and Tangelo Island. I'll let Professor Ivy know you'll be arriving soon, and she'll meet you at the Pokémon Center."

I carefully put the ticket into my wallet. "Thanks again, Professor." I excitedly turned to my team. "Now, let's go to the Orange Islands!"

 **Pokémon: Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Double Kick, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick; Sky Uppercut- learning**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls (Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower (Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

Will Summer participate in the Orange League?

A new villainous team (my first original one) will hinder her journey. What will they be like and what are their goals?


	2. OI 2

**As Summer's work at Professor Oak's laboratory winded down, the professor asked her if she could deliver notes to Professor Ivy in the Orange Islands. She enthusiastically agreed, and her team shared her excitement. With Blaze back from training, they now travel on a ship to the islands. On the boat, she meets a Coordinator going there as well. But as they become friends, a pair of teenagers has other plans for the ship. Who are these people and how will they play out in Summer's journey?**

 **Chapter 2- A New Friend and a New Threat**

The ocean breeze touched my lightly tanned skin as Lightning and I enjoyed the ship cutting through the dark blue waves. It was a good thing I changed clothes right after we left Vermillion City. I traded my brown shirt and blue capris for a white blouse with yellow daisies and a turquoise, knee-length skirt. Although I would've preferred my tennis shoes, a pair of white sneakers made more sense.

"It's been so long since we've seen the ocean!" the Raichu sighed dreamily.

"You can say you that again!"

We laughed until I heard a girl desperately shout, "Ichigo, stop!"

A small light yellow mouse Pokémon with blue-tipped ears, blue cheeks, and a blue tail shaped like a minus sign frantically ran past us. The girl, unable to keep up with her Pokémon, stopped in front of us and heavily panted. She had slightly pale skin, which complemented her ice-blue knee-length dress. Her thin black hair was about the length of her chest, with two thin braids falling gently in front of her face.

"Are you okay? You shouldn't run with shoes like that," I suggested, noticing she wore low heel dusty brown sandals.

She sighed and desperately glanced at me. "I'm fine!" she responded in a cheery tone. "I've done this before." Suddenly she gasped. "No way! Are you Summer Scorcher?!"

"Yeah…" I hesitantly answered.

She squealed. "I can't believe I'm meeting you in person! I saw all of your battles during the Indigo League! I'm a huge fan!"

I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head. "Thanks for the praise." As I looked at her more closely, her face slowly became more familiar. "Wait, I recognize you too. You're Yuki the Coordinator, aren't you? I really enjoyed watching your appeals rounds! I wish I could've watched your Contests in person."

Instead of a happy response, she embarrassingly smirked. "Yeah, that's me. They were nothing special."

Although confused, I decided not to question her unusual reaction. "Was that your Pokémon running by?"

"Oh yeah! I have to find Ichigo! He's a Minun I caught in the Hoenn Region. If it's not too much trouble, can you help me look for him?"

I softly smiled. "Sure. Since Lightning's an Electric type and a Mouse Pokémon, he shouldn't be too hard to track down."

She clasped her hands together in relief. "Thank you so much!"

I looked at my Pokémon. "Ready, Lightning?"

She made an energized pose. "You bet, Summer!"

She raised her tail slightly, allowing the air currents to touch her tail. After few seconds, the lightning-tipped tail quivered and her cheeks emitted several sparks.

"Follow me!" she shouted. I nodded and she guided us to a small supply closet in one of the cabin hallways.

Yuki nervously knocked on the door. "Ichigo, can I come in?"

A faint set of cries passed through the solid wood door. "We can come in," Lightning translated.

"I think it's okay, Yuki," I reassured.

She took a deep breath and nodded. She clenched the doorknob firmly and slowly opened the door. The Minun was perched on a wooden crate, not too happy to see his Trainer.

[Minun, the Cheering Pokémon. At a meeting of Pokémon academics, it was announced that simultaneous exposure to electricity from a Plusle and Minun will promote circulation and boost vitality.]

"Ichigo," Yuki began her peace talk. "Did I do it again?"

Ichigo scoffed and angrily replied in a squeaky tone, "You're not going to understand me, Yuki, so it's no use trying to explain it to you!"

"You can talk to me, Ichigo," I offered, startling him and his Trainer. "We haven't met before, but I can understand Pokémon speech."

Ichigo raised his eyebrows in disbelief, but Lightning added, "It's true. Summer can understand Pokémon she's scanned in her Pokédex."

The Minun lowered his guard and crossed his arms. "Fine. Yuki wanted me and my teammates to undergo some Contest training, but she makes it so impossible for us to learn in such a short time!"

"I see," I thought aloud. "You think Yuki's forcing you to get quick results?"

The sounds of sniffling cut the tension in the room. "I-I'm sorry, Ichigo…" Yuki stuttered in between sobs. "I know this isn't right...but I don't know what else to do…"

Ichigo saw our confused looks and explained, "You see, we lost in the Top 16 Round in the Ever Grande Festival to her rival, Azura. Yuki's been trying to train us like her Azura's Pokémon, which means harsh exercises to encourage certain forms and styles of Contest moves. The three of us tried to protest, but Yuki wouldn't listen to us."

I sadly nodded, then placed a comforting arm around Yuki's shoulders. "I understand how you feel, Yuki. Trying to beat your rival's pretty rewarding, but only if you and your Pokémon are working together."

Yuki wiped away her tears and slowly calmed down. "I guess, Summer…"

The Minun was taken aback by what his Trainer said. "You're Summer Scorcher?!" His shock turned into excitement. "I can't believe it's you! And you must be Lightning! I watched your battles, and you're really good!"

Lightning bashfully rubbed her head. "Thanks for the compliment, Ichigo. Your Contest moves are really impressive."

The girl's face then became cheerful. "Sorry if I started your trip on a bad start, Summer. Why don't we rest for a bit? Dinner will be in an hour."

"It wasn't bad at all, Yuki," I reassured. "Do you want to have dinner together?"

She excitedly clapped her hands. "I'd love to! Let's exchange Pokégear numbers just in case and meet at the dining hall."

I smiled. "Sounds good! See you then!"

 **An hour later…**

Yuki and I sat at a small wooden table overlooking the ruby sunset. The dinner was buffet style, so we grabbed our food earlier and quickly found these seats before they ran out. Unfortunately, they didn't allow Pokémon in the room, so Lightning and Ichigo had to stay in their Pokéballs.

As I ate the pesto pasta, grilled chicken, light green salad, and fresh Berries, Yuki enjoyed the same, but in smaller portions.

"So," I asked. "Why are you going to the Orange Islands, Yuki?"

After she chewed her piece of chicken, she replied, "I'm going to help my aunt, Daisy, with her showboat."

"A showboat? I've heard about them, but I've never seen one before! What kind of shows does your aunt do?" I eagerly asked.

Yuki giggled, happy I was interested. "Well...where do I begin? She specializes in skits and dances around her Eeveelutions."

I was ecstatic. "Eeveelutions! She's so lucky! How many does she have?"

"I think she has six, including her Eevee, Buckeye. But she is pretty lucky. I love watching her shows; they're some of the reasons why I became a Coordinator."

I noticed the pride and respect in her eyes and softly smiled. We continued talking as we drank our Pinap juices until the staff politely asked us to leave. We complied with their requests, said goodbye, and returned to our cabins.

I let Lightning explore the cabin's bathroom and decided to read some news articles on the new Pokémon Battle News app I installed earlier. I lay on the firm bed with ocean-blue covers and looked at some potential articles. One of them caught my eye, and I began to scan through the story.

 _Wow...Weldon's been training hard for his battle against the Elite Four… He made it halfway through Mt. Battle in the Orre Region. It says that the mountain is known for training and gives good results. I wonder if he could actually beat Red…_

"What's going on, Summer?" Lightning teased as she lay next to me.

I was shocked by the sudden noise and fell off my bed. As I rubbed my head, I answered in an irritated tone, "Just reading the news…"

She laughed. "Sure, Summer, sure… Is it about Weldon?"

I was about to retort when someone knocked on my door. _I'm not expecting anyone...but I can't help but feel something bad's going to happen._

"Hey Lightning, can you hide in the bathroom?"

She was about to ask why, but she saw the caution on my face. She nodded, entered the bathroom, and closed the door. Once I knew she was hidden, I looked through the peephole. It was a male steward.

I cautiously opened the cabin door and asked, "Is everything okay?"

Despite his clean red uniform, he revealed a sinister grin. "Yes, it is now. Elekid, Thundershock!"

My confusion turned to fear as the electricity coursed through my body. My eyes immediately closed and my mind became blank.

* * *

 _What happened?_ My mind slowly came to, and I was able to open my eyes. I noticed the half moon and the twinkling stars and felt the cold wooden floor of the deck. _I must be outside…_

I tried to stand up, but I realized my arms and legs were tied behind my back. As I struggled to re-position myself, I heard two sets of footsteps approach me. I tilted my head upwards and saw a boy and girl, both about thirteen. Although it was a little hard to see, they were wearing dark green shirts, brown pants and vests, and black gloves. The boy had spiky red hair, while the girl had brunette hair tied in a ponytail.

"Looks like there's only one capable Trainer onboard," the girl scoffed. Her voice was strong, which complimented her slightly built physique. "Can't believe she let her guard down. I thought she was overly cautious."

"Then this should be easy," the boy replied, pulling his gloves tight. He had a loud voice, but the waves deafened it slightly. "We did take all of her Pokéballs. River should be done with the captain soon, and our mission will be complete."

"Wh-Who are you people?" I yelled.

The boy laughed and addressed, "So you finally woke up. You might as well know, Summer Scorcher. I'm Magma, and this is my partner, Terra. We are members of OIATO, the Orange Islands Anti-Tourist Organization."

I was upset at what I heard. "Anti-tourist?! I thought the islands are known for their tourism! Why do you hate that?"

Terra's face darkened, her expression hiding from the moon. "Tourists are the reason our home is deteriorating! They want more space, more land, more development! The government's too slow to respond to peaceful protests, so now force is needed!"

"So let me get this straight…" I began my thought process. "You're hijacking this ship to deter people from visiting the islands?"

"That's right."

"But wouldn't it cause issues on the islands due to the lack of visitors?" I argued.

Terra laughed. "You're as thorough as they say. That may be the case, but we will prevent all new development and keep the islands for the local people and Pokémon."

 _Wow...that's good logic. Dang it, I thought I had her…_

"Enough talk," Magma interrupted. "Let's do what we came here for."

His partner nodded and they slowly marched towards me. I struggled to squirm away, but the bonds were too tight.

Just when I thought it was over for me, I heard, "Ichigo, Helping Hand!"

"Don't worry, Summer!" Lightning shouted as she rushed forward.

Her tail illuminated the darkness as she swung it at my attackers. Despite the two kids dodging the blow, the force of the slashing tail slightly ripped their gloves.

"What a strong Raichu," Terra bitterly commented.

Magma gingerly rubbed his left hand. "It was just a Helping Hand boost."

As Lightning bit my restraints, Yuki was stunned to see the two villains. "Magma... is that you?" The boy froze.

"What's the meaning of this, Magma?!" Terra demanded.

He recovered and bluntly answered, "I don't know who she is. But if she's with Summer, then she must be a threat!"

Yuki recovered from her shock as well and threw a ball at me. "Summer, catch!"

As Lightning chewed through the last of the binds, I immediately stretched out my right arm and caught the Pokéball.

Terra angrily detached a Pokéball from her belt. "If it's a battle you want, it's a battle you'll get!"

She was about to throw it when Magma clasped onto her left arm. "Let me handle her. You can take on the other girl."

"Fine…" she growled as he let go. She then glared at Yuki. "Marowak, destroy her!"

Magma then stared at me. He had a determined look, but I felt a strange sense of guilt coming from his brown eyes. He grabbed a Pokéball from his belt and threw it into the air. "Jupiter, time for battle!"

A Charizard flew out of the ball and soared into the air, his tail illuminating the darkness.

 _Oh great...another one… It's a good thing Yuki gave me the right Pokémon._

I smiled as I threw my Pokéball. "Go, Blaze!"

He landed firmly on the deck and glared at the Kanto starter. "Summer. Let's beat a Charizard for once."

"I agree. Flamethrower!"

"Jupiter," Magma commanded. "Flamethrower as well!"

The two streams of fire lighted up the deck and collided in mid air, but both attacks were evenly matched.

Magma stretched his hand outward. "Air Slash!"

Jupiter flapped his wings once, creating a slice of air that hurled towards Blaze.

"Dodge and use Blaze Kick!"

The Blaziken jumped upwards, easily dodging the super effective attack. He then thrust his right leg forward, the end immediately bursting into flame.

Magma chuckled. "Too easy. Jupiter, Seismic Toss!"

The Flame Pokémon side somersaulted around Blaze and grabbed onto the Blaziken's chest. Despite the Blaze Pokémon's attempts to free himself, Jupiter ignored his opponent's struggling and spun around in circles. Once he got Blaze dizzy, he threw him onto the deck, creating a few scratches on the wood.

"Are you okay, Blaze?" I asked as my starter stood to his feet.

He cracked his knuckles and bluntly replied, "I'm fine, Summer. My training made my body less susceptible to pain from physical moves. I'm ready to keep going if you are."

 _He's gotten so much stronger. I can't let him down._

I clenched my fist. "I am. Fire Punch!"

As Blaze charged forward with his fiery fist, Magma countered, "Fire Punch too!"

The Charizard nodded and charged with his right fist bursting into flames. Although Jupiter was about to land the attack first, Blaze smirked, confusing him. Jupiter's punch narrowly missed Blaze's left cheek as the Blaziken slammed his right fist into the Charizard's face. Magma's Pokémon crashed into the ship's railing, yet the metal didn't bend from the impact.

Jupiter smirked and growled, "You're stronger than I thought…" He proudly flapped his wings as Blaze made his fighting pose. The fire on Jupiter's tail grew larger as Blaze's fists emitted flames.

When his Trainer saw his desire to continue, the boy shouted, "Jupiter, end this with Aerial Ace!"

As the Charizard rose into the air, Blaze glanced at me. "Are you ready to try that move again?"

I smiled and held my right fist forward. "I know it'll work this time. Blaze, finish this with Sky Uppercut!"

He nodded and leaped into the sky, his right fist charged with blue energy. As both Pokémon were about to attack, I mentally placed myself in Blaze's position. We both dodged Jupiter's slashing arm and punched upward. The Fighting type move struck the Charizard in the jaw and caused him to crash onto the deck.

 _That was it! That's the power needed for a Sky Uppercut!_

Blaze landed firmly on the wood and glared at his opponent, who was struggling to stand.

At the same time, Terra frustratingly shouted, "You'll pay for this!" as her Marowak was unable to continue.

Yuki, Ichigo, and a blue turtle Pokémon with fluffy ears and a large fluffy tail approached us. Although I knew I didn't have to scan him, I just wanted to know for my personal knowledge.

[Wartortle, the Turtle Pokémon and the evolved form of Squirtle. Its large tail is covered with rich, thick fur that deepens in color with age. The scratches on its shell are evidence of this Pokémon's toughness in battle.]

Suddenly, a horn echoed through the ocean air. Magma gritted his teeth and I thought I heard him say, "Momo's stronger than I expected." He then yelled at his partner, "We need to retreat."

She reluctantly agreed. "Fine, he should be gone by now too." She returned her Pokémon and exchanged his ball for another one. "Tentacruel, let's go!"

Magma did the same but instead said, "Neptune, go!"

A jellyfish Pokémon with large eyes and dark tentacles and a Gyarados appeared in the waves. The two grunts made running jumps off the ship and landed perfectly on their heads. I knew I couldn't do anything to stop them, but I needed to know about Terra's Pokémon.

[Tentacruel, the Jellyfish Pokémon and the evolved form of Tentacool. It lives in complex rock formations on the ocean floor and traps prey using its 80 tentacles. Its red orbs glow when it grows excited or agitated.]

Suddenly, the deck lights brightened the area, and an officer in a dark brown trench coat ran over to us. He had sandy blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. "I am Detective Beach from the International Police. We received a distress signal from this ship and learned that OIATO was onboard."

"Yes, Detective," Yuki respectfully replied. "My friend and I were able to force them off the boat."

The man looked at us curiously. "Intriguing, may I ask you a few questions?"

We both nodded, then he asked us about the events that occurred. As we continued our explanation, his thick eyebrows furrowed. "It appears OIATO is now more of a threat, as I thought." He then gave us a curt bow. "Thank you for your time."

"Thank you, Detective," we chimed as he went back into the boat.

I turned to my new friend. "Thanks for your help, Yuki. How did you know where to find me?"

"Well...I heard a loud thump in the hallway so Ichigo and I went to see what it was. We were shocked to see you taken away, but when Lightning came out, we all decided to help you by finding your Pokéballs. Oh, here's the rest of them."

Relieved, I took the five Pokéballs and clipped them back onto my belt.

"Good thing you had that hunch, Summer," Lightning noted.

"Me too. Now, let's get some sleep."

Yuki yawned, then I followed. Once our Pokémon did the same, we laughed and went back to our rooms.

 **Pokémon: Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls (Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower (Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What do you think of Yuki?

What do you think of OIATO and their goals?


	3. OI 3

**During Summer's voyage to Tangelo Island, she met Yuki, a Coordinator, and learned about her aunt's showboat. Then, the Trainer was kidnapped by OIATO, who wanted to stop the passengers from entering the islands. After a Fire Pokémon battle, Blaze was able to master Sky Uppercut to defeat Magma's Charizard. After that ordeal, Summer will finally board the famous Eevee Showboat. Who will she meet and how will she travel throughout the archipelago?**

 **Chapter 3- The Eevee Showboat**

 _I hope she's not late…_ I pondered, looking at my Pokégear. I was supposed to meet Professor Ivy at 9am in front of the Tangelo Island Pokémon Center, but it was almost 9:15. Yuki went on ahead to see her aunt and told me to call her when I was ready.

"Is that her, Summer?" Lightning alerted me by lightly tugging on my skirt.

I heard heeled shoes clacking on the pavement and looked up. It was a woman with lightly tanned skin, brown eyes, and chin-length plum hair that curled upwards at the ends. Under her white lab coat was a dark red shirt and a dark blue knee-length skirt. In her right hand was a brown briefcase decorated with native fruit and ivy leaves.

I was dumbstruck, my mouth staring to gape open. _I can't believe it's her! THE PROFESSOR IVY!_

Suddenly, I felt something thump against my left leg. My mind returned to reality, and I saw Lightning disapprovingly shaking her head. My eyes then frightfully returned to the professor, and my mouth immediately snapped shut.

"I'm so sorry, Professor Ivy!" I apologized with a bow.

She gave a friendly laugh and replied with a calm tone. "I understand, Summer. It's an honor to meet a junior research assistant interested in my work."

After I recovered, I took off my backpack and rummaged through it. "Here are the notes for the translation app, Professor," I said after finding the stack of papers.

She took the notes and glanced at the first page. "I appreciate you bringing them to me. Now I can help Professor Oak with the app. Would you like to see my lab?"

I glowed in excitement, but remembered something. "I would love to, but I promised my friend that I'll meet her after I'm done."

She slightly cocked her head and smiled. "Would that be Yuki, by any chance?"

"Yeah, that's right. She did mentioned she lived here for a while. How do you know her?"

Before Professor Ivy could answer, Yuki and a taller woman about the age of forty walked towards us. The unfamiliar woman had long, sandy blonde hair that had a braided halo design. Her pink dress was decorated white daisies along the edge of the skirt, which matched her tan sandals with a large daisy on each bridge. Next to her was a pink fox-like Pokémon with brown eyes, a red jewel on her forehead, and a two-forked tail. A green silk bowtie was snugly tied around her right ear.

"Professor Ivy!" Yuki happily exclaimed as Ichigo gripped her left shoulder. "It's good to see you again!"

The researcher grinned. "You too, Yuki and Daisy."

Yuki then presented her companion. "Summer, this is Daisy, my aunt and the one who owns the showboat I told you about."

"It's nice to meet you, Summer," Daisy replied in a motherly tone.

"Likewise," I replied as we shook hands.

We then heard a chime ringing. "Oh, that's my alarm," the professor answered. "I need to head back to the lab. Just let me know when you're coming to visit, Summer."

I sadly smiled. "Thank you, Professor." We then waved goodbye to her, and she walked towards the harbor.

The unfamiliar Pokémon then sniffed my relaxed hands and eventually Lightning. Daisy explained, "My Espeon, Twinberry, becomes familiar with people and Pokémon through scent. I hope you don't mind."

Of course not, Daisy," I calmly replied. "It's nice to meet you, Twinberry."

[Espeon, the Sun Pokémon and one of the evolved forms of Eevee. An Espeon is extremely loyal to any Trainer it considers to be worthy. It is said to have developed precognitive powers to protect its Trainer from harm.]

She returned to her Trainer and said in a meek voice, "You too, Summer and Lightning."

"So Summer," Daisy asked, trying to get to know me. "I hear you're traveling throughout the Orange Islands. Have you seen a showboat performance before?"

I shook my head. "No, but I do want to see one. Yuki told me a little about your performances."

Daisy clasped her hands. "Excellent! Why don't you travel with us? It'll be cheaper than taking the ferries. I'll take you to the boat. You can meet my staff and the other Pokémon there."

Lightning and I bowed. "Great, thank you!"

We walked through the bustling streets and to the harbor. There, at the farthest end of the docks, was a ship with two portholes and a medium-sized black smokestack. It was painted chocolate brown, with five cream-colored lifeboats tethered on each side. There was a wide deck at the bow, and the name of the boat, which was painted on the back, was _S.S. Eevee_.

The gangplank was lowered once we arrived, and the two led us onto the ship and into the rotunda. It was a beautiful room with a glass case filled with pictures and memorabilia of the cast, light brown wooden floors, a large gold chandelier decorating the light blue roof, and a gold and silver staircase that led downstairs.

"This is amazing!" I gasped. Lightning couldn't help but open her mouth and nod.

"Thank you, Summer," Daisy said, smiling at my compliment. "It is important to give a good first impression. Not only do we have the shows, but we also function as a fancier mode of transportation throughout the Orange Islands. There's a small restaurant and bar downstairs along with the stage. We and any guests staying for overnight travel sleep on the first floor. Our storage and practice rooms are separated by a wall on the same floor."

"Can I give her the tour, Aunt Daisy?" Yuki offered.

"Of course. I'll gather everyone on the deck, then you can meet everyone once you're done."

"Come on, Summer!" Yuki gleefully shouted and ran downstairs.

Lightning and I followed her and Ichigo through the red, yellow, and blue decorated hallways, and we got a quick tour of the ship, including where I would be sleeping. It was a one-bed bunk on the east with a small white table behind it. The room also had red walls and a small porthole that overlooked Tangelo Island. I put my backpack down, then we headed to the deck where Daisy, a slightly brawny man with reddish hair and a thick red beard, and an elderly woman with black hair that was starting to turn gray. The man wore a red and black plaid shirt and brown jeans while the woman wore a thin pink cardigan and a long olive green shirt.

"Summer," Daisy introduced. "Meet my crew. This man's Will. He helps with the stage equipment and is the executive chef of the restaurant."

"Nice to meet you, Summer," he greeted with a booming, masculine voice. He stepped forward, his grey boots making the wood vibrate.

After we shook hands, Daisy continued, "And this is Marybelle, our storyteller and greeter. She has a lot of experience with showboat performances."

"Oh, hush, Daisy," she playfully teased. Her voice was a little soft, but it was warm and comforting to hear. "Welcome to the Eevee Showboat, dear."

Instead of shaking hands, we bowed. Daisy, Will, and Marybelle then removed their Pokéballs from the belt. "Now it's time to meet the rest of our crew!" she shouted as they tossed them into the air.

An Electabuzz and a Magmar, obvious with his yellow snout and red and orange body, appeared next to Will. A Clefairy and a Jigglypuff gently descended next to Marybelle. Finally, to my delight, Daisy's Eevee and her other Eeveelutions.

The Eevee looked very fluffy, especially his collar ruff. He wore a beautiful velvet black bowtie around his neck. The Vaporeon had smooth aqua fur and a long finned tail. A pink multi-petaled flower on her left ear gave her a sense of gentleness. The Jolteon had spiky yellow fur that made him more menacing than he appeared. A small round green pin was attached under his chin. The Flareon emanated a heat that I could feel even though he was several feet away. Around his cream collar ruff was a dark red wooden collar that played well with his orange fur. Finally, the Umbreon's yellow rings brightened her jet black fur. A small white crescent moon dangles dangled from her brass necklace. I was extremely tempted to scan all of them, but I knew it wasn't the best time for that.

"Will, why don't you go first?" Daisy asked. "Then Marybelle, then me."

"All right then. Summer, meet Charge, my Electabuzz, and Pyro, my Magmar." Lightning and I waved to them, and they returned the gesture with wide grins.

Marybelle continued, "My lovely Pokémon are Starlight, my Jigglypuff, and Moonbeam, my Clefairy. They like to play pranks, but they are relatively harmless. Say hello, you two." The two Normal types lightly smirked but waved to us as well.

"Now for our main performers!" Daisy shouted as she thrust her right hand into the air. Each of her Pokémon eagerly but patiently waited for their cues.

"First up, Buckeye! The youngest of our troupe, but the most eager to perform. He's the star of our most popular show series, _Prism Power_!" The Eevee released a spray of bright white stars into the air, which collided into each other and created a glittery shower.

"Next is Primrose! She's a specialist in water-based special effects and one of the stars of our show, _Trial by Triage_!" The Vaporeon blew a stream of bubbles from her mouth, then a cool rainbow beam. The light shattered the orbs, making smaller rainbows that gently illuminated the blue sky.

"Here comes Cactus! He loves to end every show by popping balloons of confetti and streamers over our guests. He's another star in the show, _Trial by Triage_!" The Jolteon leaped higher than his teammates and shot white spikes upwards in the air. The streaks of light were highlighted when he unleashed a Thunderbolt, turning them into a lovely cloud white firework.

"If you thought that was hot, wait till you see Redwood! He's our specialist in fire and explosion based special effects and the final star in _Trial by Triage_!" The Flareon took a deep breath and exhaled the largest fireball I'd seen into the sky. He then jumped into the air and smashed it into the deck with his fluffy tail. I thought the deck would start to burn, but instead, the ball was separated into five smaller fireballs. They curled upwards again and creating a fiery star.

"She may be shy, but she's our star in our second most popular show series, _Detective Moonflower_! Here is, Moonflower, the Umbreon!" The Umbreon closed her eyes and formed a dark ball of energy with her mouth. As she launched it upwards, she suddenly disappeared. I was confused until I followed the movement of the Shadow Ball. Moonflower reappeared behind it and shot through it with a fast Quick Attack. Once she landed, it looked like a black cape flowing behind her.

Before Daisy said anything, Twinberry used her psychic powers to levitate into the air. "Finally, the leader of my troupe! She's the oldest, and most experienced, and loves to help her fellow teammates. She's the second half to Detective Moonflower, Dr. Twinberry, and the mother figure in _Trial by Triage_. Please welcome, Twinberry!" Using her psychic powers, the Espeon floated through five pink conjured rings, then combined them to form an atom-like shape in the sky. As the rings rotated and changed size, everyone oohed and aahed until the pink energy exploded, sprinkling everyone with pink sparkles. She then gracefully landed on the deck, and all seven of them bowed.

I enthusiastically clapped. "That was amazing! It was almost like watching a Contest appeals round!"

Daisy enjoyed the praise. "I'm so glad! With such appreciation for Contests, you must be from Hoenn, correct?"

As I nodded, Yuki added, "Aunt Daisy was actually a Coordinator before she became a showboat owner. She traveled all over the world and eventually became a Top Coordinator."

"Really?" I exclaimed. "In what region?"

Daisy grinned. "Johto and Sinnoh."

"Wow… A multi-Top Coordinator…"

Yuki then tensed up and looked at the ocean. Daisy noticed her niece's sudden behavior and changed the subject, "So Summer, are you ready to start traveling with us?"

"Actually...I was wondering if I can help out somehow." I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head. "I feel kind of awkward getting a room and travel for free."

Daisy pondered my offer. "What Pokémon do you have, Summer?"

"So here's Lightning…" Then I threw four Pokéballs into the air. Blaze, Errol, Swirls, and Flower appeared and smiled at the crew.

"Wow, Pokémon from three regions," Will said, impressed.

"And a mixture of different personalities," Marybelle gleefully added. "Just the right mix we need for our shows."

I beamed. "Thanks everyone. This is Blaze, Errol, Swirls, and Flower. I do also have Rocky, but he's a pretty big Onix."

"Oh don't sweat it, Summer," Daisy replied. "I feel the same with Edelweiss, my Lapras. I'm sure we'll meet her later, and the same goes with you and Edelweiss."

"Well, it's getting close to lunch," Will interrupted with a clap of his hands. "Let's eat, then we'll discuss how you can help us."

We all nodded and went back inside. Afterwards we talked about doing tasks and what roles my Pokémon could play. Although I was excited about helping, I also wanted to see what was wrong with Yuki.

 **Pokémon: Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls (Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower (Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What do you think of the Eevee Showboat?

The performances in this chapter will be a preview for Contests in the future. Did you like the content of them and what should be improved?

 **P.S.- A new poll is up! This is about the shows featured on the Eevee Showboat, and if anyone is interested in reading them. One episode of a show will be in the main story, but the rest will be in a new story. If there are at least five votes, I will try to write the plot of the shows whenever I have time :)**


	4. OI 4

**After briefly meeting with Professor Ivy, Summer met Daisy, Yuki's aunt, and the rest of the crew of the Eevee Showboat. To pay back for the free travel, Summer and her Pokémon decided to help with the shows. Completing the first part of the tasks allowed the crew to dock at Mikan Island, the location of the first Orange League Gym. Summer decided to use one Pokémon for the challenge, but she faces a bigger one when her Pokémon couldn't handle it. Who will help her, and will she be able to win without much experience?**

 **P.S.- A new poll is posted, so please vote! :)**

 **Chapter 4- An Almost Impossible Task**

"Whew!" I shouted as I exhaustively lay on my bed bunk. Although it was a short trip, we arrived on Mikan Island, known for growing mikan fruits. I just finished making brochures and flyers for the _Trial by Triage_ show, this time incorporating some of my Pokémon as supporting cast. I saw so many colors from the folding and printing that my mind started swirling the colors in my room. A knock snapped me out and I opened the wooden door. Outside, Yuki and Ichigo greeted me with my Pokéballs.

I happily took them. "How was the rehearsal?"

"It went really well!" She replied cheerfully. "Everyone's a quick learner, and Rocky was able to help Will with loading the supplies we need for the show tomorrow."

"That's great! I'm glad we can help."

"I am too!" Yuki then remembered something. "There is a Gym here on the island. Are you thinking about challenging it?"

My smile changed into a small frown. "I don't know…"

"Well," Yuki advised. "The show won't start until 8. You have plenty of time to go."

"What about you, Yuki?"

She hesitated. "I would like to go, but I need to help Will and Marybelle prepare. Although we have the temporary help, I need to stay onboard to make sure the Pokémon are ready."

I nodded. "I understand. Let me do some research on the Gym, and I'll let you know which Pokémon can stay here for the preparations."

"Sounds good to me." She waved goodbye and the pair walked towards the deck.

I sat back down and started my research on the Gym Guide app. _So they don't focus on just battles in the Orange Island, but also challenges that test a Pokémon's skills. What kind of challenges does the Mikan Island Gym have? Hopefully they're not too extreme…_

 **The next day...**

After registering for the Orange League at the Pokémon Center and getting lost around the bustling streets of the cobblestone-lined town, I was able to find a Gym sign that pointed to a long, windy dirt road. As I marched along it, I let out my chosen Pokémon for the Gym challenge.

"Hey Dudette…" Swirls asked, looking around us. "I'm your pick? Just me? What's up with that?"

I giggled and patted the Water type's head. "Yeah. I read the Mikan Gym focuses on water-based challenges, so you'll be perfect for it."

"So what you're saying is that I'm the only choice?!" She complained.

"Yes and no. You are my only Water type, but you're the best one I know."

Swirls slightly perked up. "Thanks, Dudette."

We approached a red longitudinal beach house that overlooked the ocean and a small alcove. Suddenly, a sense of danger swept over me. I immediately grabbed Swirls and tumbled forward, narrowing avoiding a soaking from a launched pile of red balloons.

Once I heard the splashing as the balloons connected with the path, I whispered to my Pokémon, "In retrospect, we could've taken those hits."

"Totally…"

"Aw, man!" a young male voice disappointedly shouted. "I thought I had you!"

Swirls and I sat up and saw a boy about seven with tall, spiky black hair, a yellow shirt, and blue shorts standing in front of us. "You know, that's not very nice to throw water balloons at people," I lightly scolded.

"Come on!" He pouted. "Don't you want a cool shower? It'll be hot today."

"Swirls has Water Absorb, and I'm used to the heat, so no, not really."

Before the boy could continue his poor reasoning, a young woman wearing a black spaghetti tank top and a long red skirt slammed open the door to the house. Her auburn hair was tied into a bun, displaying a sense of seriousness. "Senta!" She scolded with a firm voice. "What did I tell you about attacking people that walk by here?!"

The boy grumbled, "Sorry, sis…"

"Don't apologize to me! Apologize to her and her Poliwhirl, then go to your room!"

Senta reluctantly nodded and bowed to us. "Sorry…"

"Thanks," I replied. "I appreciate it." After he trotted into the house, I looked at her and introduced myself, "I'm Summer, and this is Swirls."

The woman smirked. "So you're one of the Trainers that participated in the Indigo League recently, correct?"

"Th-That's right…" I said, slightly taken aback. "You saw my matches?"

"I always follow female Trainers in the league tournaments. I know you're strong, but that's not how we do things here in the Orange League."

I firmly nodded. "I read the rules earlier. I know this Gym focuses on Water type skills, which is why I brought Swirls with me."

She grinned. "Well then, why don't start now? As Leader of the Mikan Gym, I, Cissy, accept your challenge!"

"All right." I turned to my Pokémon. "Ready, Swirls?"

She made an energized fist. "Totally, Dudette."

Cissy opened the door and guided me inside. To my amazement, a large rectangular pool with two circular platforms covered most of the room. The glass doors along the northern part of the house allowed the sunlight to filter through, making the building bright and warm. A long white shelf separated the pool and glass doors. I was curious about this arrangement but waited for the Gym Leader to explain.

Cissy pressed a red button on the east wall. "Now then, here's my challenge." A row of ten red soda cans and ten blue soda cans appeared on top of the shelf. "We'll each use a Water Pokémon to knock off these cans. It's a race to see who can hit their set of cans in the least amount of time."

"Are there any moves that are not permitted?" I inquired.

I thought I saw her smirk, but she replied, "Just long range Water type moves."

 _She's hiding something, but I don't know what… I guess we'll see soon._

"All right, Swirls!" I eagerly shouted. "Let's go!"

She dove into the clear water and jumped onto the right platform. "Ready to rock, Dudette!"

Cissy took at a Pokéball. "Nelly, let's show them!" A blue seahorse with sharp fins and scales appeared in the water. He gave us a dirty look, but it didn't faze Swirls. "Woah, Nelly! Don't intimidate them."

[Seadra, the Dragon Pokémon and the evolved form of Horsea. The poisonous barbs all over its body are highly valued as ingredients for making traditional herbal medicine. It shows no mercy to anything approaching its nest.]

 _So does this mean Nelly thinks the Gym is his nest? Weird..._

"On your mark," Cissy announced as the two Water types were poised to fire. Snapping out of my ponderings, I regained my focus. "Get set...go!"

Swirls and Nelly immediately shot bursts of water at the cans, knocking them down simultaneously. As they reached the last cans, to our surprise, a large green can sprung upwards from behind the counter.

"Now, Nelly!" Cissy confidently shouted. "The winning can!" Her Seadra shot another quick stream of water.

Despite being caught off guard, I shouted, "Water Pulse!"

Swirls instinctively shot a small but fast orb, which smashed into the can as the Water Gun also made contact.

Cissy clapped with praise. "Excellent intuition, Summer. Most Trainers would go for another Water Gun, but you remembered my rules."

"Thanks, Cissy," I replied. "What happens now?"

"Now comes the fun part!" She excitedly began to explain. "We will race in the ocean from the beach. There's a flag by an outcrop of rocks that we'll circle around, then return to the beach."

My heart dropped. "Swirls and I never swam in the ocean before," I honestly informed.

The Gym Leader softly smiled. "I understand. I'll give you until 4 to train. I have to find an appropriate punishment for my brother anyway."

I bowed. "Thanks, Cissy."

 **A few hours later…**

I emerged from the dark blue water and deeply exhaled. Luckily, I was wearing my blue and green one piece swimsuit, so we practiced riding in the ocean at Coral Beach, not far from the Gym. Unfortunately, Swirls didn't have the stamina or strength to carry me and swim at the same time, so we kept struggling to stay afloat.

Noticing her panting, I advised, "Let's get back to shore and rest, Swirls."

She reluctantly nodded and we swam back to where I placed my backpack. After drying off my hair by squeezing it with my hands, I sat on the yellow sand and stared at the waves ebbing along the shore.

"I'm sorry, Dudette," Swirls mournfully apologized as she sat to my right.

I softly petted her head. "It's not your fault, Swirls. We should've practiced when we were at the lab."

Suddenly, Primrose ran towards us and nuzzled my right arm. "Hi, Summer!" she greeted enthusiastically in a bubbly, almost song-like voice.

I stroked her long tail. "Hi, Primrose, what are you doing here?"

Something lightly crushed the sand, and when I looked up, Daisy waved to me. A brown wicker basket hung from her left arm. "Hi, Summer. How's the Gym challenge going?"

I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head. "Well, I tied the first part, but now I'm having trouble with the second."

The older woman sat down and opened the container. She handed me a Chansey egg salad sandwich on whole wheat bread and said, "Why don't we have lunch first?"

My stomach rumbled and I nodded in embarrassment. After I took the sandwich, Daisy took out a large stainless steel food bowl and placed it in front of Primrose and Swirls. They painfully watched her pour the food, but once she was done, they ate in small batches.

"This sandwich is really good!" I exclaimed after I took my first bite.

Daisy chuckled and sat down to my left. Another sandwich was clutched in her right hand. "All thanks to Will. He's truly a master chef." As we continued eating, the performer mused, "So you're stuck on the Surf race challenge?"

I swallowed and replied, "Yeah. Swirls isn't strong enough to swim and carry me at the same time. But how did you know about the details of the challenge?"

The woman laughed. "Well, before I traveled around as a Coordinator, I took on the Orange League. Back then, it was a kind of ritual to beat the League before you can participate in Leagues or Contests in the other regions. They usually don't change the rules much, so it's easy to get help. Yuki's mother and I did it, and that's how we were able to travel."

"So you're Yuki's maternal aunt?" I clarified. After she nodded, I continued, "Is it okay if I ask what happened to her parents?"

She sadly sighed. "All I can say is that my sister and brother-in-law went missing for unknown reasons. Yuki's been greatly affected by this, but I feel it'll be best for her to talk to someone about it. Although she's outgoing and friendly, deep down, she's still having some nightmares and fears about them. Anyway, that's not really important now."

"I'm sorry," I apologized, feeling a little guilty.

Daisy gently shook her head. "Don't be, Summer. You care about others, and that's an admirable trait." She then smiled. "Why don't you borrow Edelweiss for the race?"

I was shocked. "M-Me? But I've never ridden another Water type Pokémon before."

"Don't worry, Summer," Daisy calmly reassured. "She used to be a racer, so she knows the odds and ends of Surf races. The only tough part is getting you to trust her."

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, I'll try."

"That's the spirit!" She took a Dive Ball from her belt and tossed it over the water. A light blue Lapras with a white alpine flower tiara over her soft rounded ears appeared on the shoreline. "Edelweiss," Daisy calmly instructed. "Can you help Summer with her Gym challenge?"

The Ride Pokémon immediately shifted backwards. "I-I can't, Daisy!" She softly protested. "I don't really know her!"

Her Trainer stroked her long neck. "It'll be fine," she soothed. "I trust her, so you can too, okay?"

The Water type reluctantly nodded, and I felt a little guilty. "Maybe this isn't a good idea, Daisy."

She then looked at me, her eyes filled with trust. "Summer, you can do it. I have to get back to the boat. Good luck." Before I could say anything, Daisy and Primrose walked back to the town.

 _This will be difficult, maybe even impossible! But if Daisy believes in me, I should believe in her._ I looked at the nervous Lapras and decided to start with some friendly conversation. "Hi, Edelweiss," I calmly said. "It's good to see you again." I tried to step forward but she defensively pushed herself back. I immediately stopped. "I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable."

Edelweiss seemed to sense my respect for her behavior. "No, Summer. It's my fault for acting like this with strangers."

I sat in front of her and Swirls followed suit. "You can talk to me about it if you want. I'll listen."

The Lapras hesitated, but began her story. "I was part of a pod of Lapras that belonged to a famous racer the Orange Islands. He treated us kindly and cared for us. I was even able to win some races under his instruction. A few years ago, we were attacked by poachers who wanted to sell us to greedy people. My Trainer tried to help me, but he was badly wounded." I was shocked at the details, but let her continue. She shed a tear.

"But what happened to your family?"

Edelweiss stuttered. "H-He passed away… And the rest of my family...were...gone..." She began to cry, and I felt her pain. "I would have been sold to a cruel person if it wasn't for Daisy. She outbid a man who only wanted to use me for ferrying people around his hotel business."

"I understand, Edelweiss. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that, but I'm glad that Daisy was able to help you."

She lightly sniffled. "It's okay, Summer. I know I'll see them again someday."

I reached out to comfort her, and she extended her neck forward, accepting my right hand. Swirls lightly clapped as we were able to bond so quickly. I looked at my Pokégear and noticed it was almost 2. "We only have two hours left, Edelweiss," I informed. "Will that be enough time?"

The Lapras firmly nodded, her tears disappearing. "Yes, just enough. We'll just practice riding on me and handling the waves. I'll help you with the rest during the race."

I smiled and slowly got onto her back. Swirls jumped into the water, and we practiced for the remainder of the period. After what felt like hours, I was able to stand on Edelweiss' back without falling into the water and travel at high speeds. It was a little faint, but I could tell the Lapras enjoyed the thrill of racing once more.

The Poliwhirl then noticed someone on the beach. "Hey, Dudette. Isn't that the Gym Leader chick, Cissy?"

I looked up and saw her waving at us. My excitement turned to worry. _Am I really ready to challenge her to a race?_

"You can do it, Summer," Edelweiss reassured, as if she could read my mind. "Besides, I'm ready to help you."

I confidently nodded, and we made our way back to shore. Although the Lapras was slightly frightened by the new stranger, she held her composure.

"So, Summer. Will this Lapras be your partner for the race?" Cissy asked, curious about my choice.

"Yeah, we've been practicing for a while, but I think we got it."

"All right then! Go, Hydro!" As she sent out her Pokémon, a large red flag emerged from the rocks further from where we were training. Her Pokémon was a large blue turtle with a thick, tough brown shell. Two cannons stuck out on each side of his head.

[Blastoise, the Turtle Pokémon and the evolved form of Wartortle. The waterspouts that protrude from its shell are highly accurate. Their bullets of water can precisely nail tin cans from a distance of over 160 feet.]

 _Good thing he wasn't in the soda can challenge..._

"Like I said, we'll race in the ocean, around that red flag, and back," Cissy restated. "The first one back wins."

As her Blastoise stomped onto the shoreline and Cissy boarded his back, Edelweiss spun around and faced the ocean. "Swirls, can you stay on the sand and cheer us on?" I asked.

"Totally, Dudette! Hang ten!"

I smiled then whispered, "Are you ready, Edelweiss?"

She nodded and made a determined grin. "Let's go, Summer."

I then looked at the Gym Leader and nodded, signaling the end of my preparation. Cissy widely smiled. "On your mark, get set, GO!"

The two Water types charged into the blue waters, and swam towards the halfway point. Thanks to the quick training, I was able to hang on and encouraged, "Great job, Edelweiss. Keep it up!"

She eagerly nodded and sped up more. Unfortunately, Cissy and Hydro caught up, then passed us. I gritted my teeth, but Edelweiss slyly smiled. "Don't worry, Summer. I have a plan."

Feeling she knew what she was doing, I returned a smile. "Okay, let me know when you're ready to implement it."

We continued to keep up the pace, but Cissy and Hydro retained their lead. Once we arrived at the outcrop with the flag, the Gym Leader and her Pokémon made a sharp u-turn. In comparison, Edelweiss and I made a wider turn, causing us to be to the right of our opponents.

As we reached the halfway point to the beach, the chances of us winning appeared slim. Edelweiss, on the other hand, shouted, "Now Summer. Tell me to use Hydro Pump!"

Slowly understanding her strategy, I smirked. "Edelweiss, spin around and use Hydro Pump!"

The Lapras made a quick spin, her back facing the beach. She took a deep breath and unleashed a strong blast of water, propelling us towards land. I braced myself and focused on getting to shore safely. After a few minutes, we caught up to Cissy and Hydro, with the former being impressed.

"It's a real race now!" She exclaimed as the Blastoise and Lapras were neck and neck.

"You can do it, Edelweiss!" I encouraged. She appreciated the cheering and was even more determined to win. The Hydro Pump became stronger, propelling us further ahead. Her confidence vicariously transferred over to me, and I felt we could really win.

Soon, the beach, and an excitedly waving Swirls greeted us. "Stop, Edelweiss!" The Lapras immediately ended the blast of water and we were able to stop before we slid further onto the beach. Shaking from the sudden changes in movement and the adrenaline, I had trouble getting off the Ride Pokémon. Jumping off and smashing into the warm sand somewhat restored my equilibrium.

"You okay, Dudette?" Swirls worriedly asked. Edelweiss readjusted herself to look at us and echoed the sentiment.

"I'm fine." I took a deep breath and petted my racing companion. "You did really well, Edelweiss."

"You both did!" We looked at the ocean and saw Cissy and Hydro walking towards us. "It was a true race until the end, but you two came out on top!"

I was stunned. "We did?!"

When the Gym Leader nodded, Edelweiss happily shouted, "Hooray!"

Swirls enthusiastically added, "Radical, dudettes!"

Cissy took out a pink shell from her pocket. As she presented it to me, I saw there was a small blue stone in the center. "Take the Coral Eye Badge, Summer. You really deserve it."

"Thank you, Cissy." I took the badge and placed it into my badge case, which had four additional slots for the four Orange League badges. I looked at the setting sun. "We should get back to the boat. Thanks again, Cissy!"

We shook hands. Cissy replied, "Thank you, Summer. Good luck with the rest of the League!"

I nodded, and we went back to the Eevee Showboat on Edelweiss. Luckily, we made it back in time to help with the show. Since this show included an overnight cruise, I couldn't wait to see what the next island has in store.

* * *

"Looks like we're almost done with Phase 1," Terra surmised as she looked into a room filled with vicious, red-eyed Pokémon.

Magma, on the other hand, looked out of their hideout's window. He noticed a familiar ship arriving at the harbor. _Dang it, it's that ship!_

Terra approached her partner, curious to know what he was looking at. "What is it, Magma?"

"The Eevee Showboat," He solemnly replied. "Our resources say that Summer and her friend Yuki are on that ship."

"You seem to know Yuki," Terra remembered. "Is there something you're not telling us about?"

"No. I knew her when we grew up, but she's against my philosophy now. She's my enemy. Let's use our device on her and Summer."

The girl gently patted Magma's shoulder. "Excellent idea. We'll do it tomorrow morning."

The boy nodded, ready to continue their plan. As they headed to bed, another teenage boy and his Crobat peered through a crack of the dilapidated warehouse. His dark brown eyes filled with fear at the villains' conversation. _I can't let this happen! Especially if Yuki is involved!_

 **Pokémon: Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls (Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower (Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What did you think of the Gym challenge?

What do you think happened to Yuki's parents?

What is OIATO planning?


	5. OI 5

**The Eevee Showboat arrived on Mikan Island for their first show of the summer. Summer decided to partake in the Orange League and challenged the Mikan Island Gym the next day. Although she had to befriend Daisy's Lapras in a short amount of time, she was able to defeat the Gym Leader Cissy and earned the Coral Eye Badge. Arriving on the next island, Summer and Yuki's Pokémon begin to act strange. A stranger, though not to Yuki, comes to help. Who is he and how will he aid them?**

 **Chapter 5- The Orange Islands Pokémon Ranger**

After a great showing of _Trial by Triage_ , the showboat docked at North Mandarin Island. I was happy we were able to make it back in time from my Gym challenge, and my Pokémon did really well for their first performance. The next day after a good night's sleep, Yuki and I walked through the bustling city, the skyscrapers towering over us.

"So what do we need to get?" I asked as Yuki looked at her Pokégear. Lightning and Ichigo closely walked behind us.

"North Mandarin Island is known for their candied oranges, so Aunt Daisy wanted to buy some for the next three shows. They're all going to be here, so we won't be traveling for a while."

"That's fine with me. I need to start buying souvenirs anyway."

Before Yuki could continue the conversation, Lightning and Ichigo began to growl. Worried, we turned around. To our horror, our Pokémon's eyes glowed red, and they snarled at us.

"Lightning, what's wrong?!" I shouted, concerned for my friend. Suddenly, my earpiece emitted some crackling sounds and I immediately took it off. _Th-That hurt… I never had this happen before._

Before we could do anything else, the Electric types ran off, barging through the crowds. Yuki and I were about to follow them when someone shouted, "Hold on a moment!"

We turned around and saw a tanned male teenager wearing a red uniform and dark brown knee high shorts. His red cap covered his dark green hair, and both the cap and the left breast of his uniform had an orange tree symbol on them. A Crobat flew over him, frowning at the turn of events.

 _A Pokémon Ranger? Here?_

Yuki gasped. "Forrest, is that you?"

The teen nodded and replied in a slightly deep voice, "It's been a while, Yuki. And who's your friend?"

"This is Summer Scorcher. She's doing the Orange League and traveling on the Eevee Showboat."

He lightly tipped his cap at me. "A pleasure, Summer."

"Likewise," I replied. Then I refocused on the earlier events. "We need to find Lightning and Ichigo! Who knows where they've gone…"

Forrest looked at the industrial area of the city. "I already alerted the police, though it'll take them a while. I have a feeling they're going to a place I've been investigating for some time. But it's dangerous; OIATO is involved."

"It doesn't matter!" I protested. "Our Pokémon need our help, and I can't let this happen to anyone else."

He chuckled. "All right. I can't argue against logic like that. You two can come, but you have to listen to me." He then looked at the Bat Pokémon. "Iolana, lead us there!"

"Yes, Forrest," she lightly hissed as she sped off towards the direction her Trainer eyed earlier.

Yuki and I ran after the teen, nervous about the fates of our Pokémon. Despite our differences in footwear, Yuki started to out speed me. _She must really be worried about Ichigo...or...maybe I'm just out of shape..._ In my left hand, my earpiece began to vibrate. _That's really strange...is it because there's a strong electromagnetic frequency interfering with it?_

"We're here," Forrest announced as we arrived in front of a large abandoned warehouse. A low humming echoed past the almost cracked gray walls. As I put my still shaking earpiece into my backpack, Iolana emitted several small shrieks. After a few seconds, she nodded, signaling the coast was clear.

We hid behind a double door and the Ranger whispered, "Okay, the two OIATO members, Magma and Terra, are inside. They're using a mind control device similar to the one used by Team Rocket last year. It appeared they modified to control Pokémon held by certain Trainers. We need to stop the machine and take them by surprise. Summer, Yuki, can you two destroy the machine while I distract the two?" Forrest pointed to another door up a flight of metal stairs. "Enter through there. Just make sure the door doesn't slam."

"Thanks, Forrest," I quietly responded, and I motioned Yuki to the stairs.

As we slowly made our way there, Yuki nervously asked, "Are you sure about this, Summer?"

I firmly nodded. "Yeah. I've been through dangerous situations before, and this won't certainly be the last. But if our Pokémon and maybe others are in danger, who else could help them but us?"

My friend saw the determination in my eyes. "I haven't really been helpful to my Pokémon lately, especially since our loss in the Grand Festival. I really need to make it up to Ichigo and the rest of my Pokémon."

We finally reached the heavy-looking steel door. I carefully opened it, and when we made it inside, Yuki silently closed it. As we scanned the unfamiliar surroundings, I noticed the humming was louder in the northwest corner of the building. There, a yellow Pokémon with a white ruff around his neck powered a rectangular machine with a satellite dish. I tried to use my Pokédex, but the electrical energy from the device also interfered with the data entry.

"Guess we have to be extra careful, Yuki," I warned under my breath.

After responding with a nod, we tiptoed down the second set of metal stairs and sneakily made our way to the machine. Footsteps approached us, and we hid behind a tall stack of wooden crates. We peeked around the left side and saw the two familiar foes in front of the hypnotized Lightning and Ichigo.

"That was easier than I thought," Terra remarked.

Magma nodded. "Now we can set Phase 2 in motion. Time to contact Mr. Norton for the ransom."

"Mr. Norton?" Yuki murmured, giving me some insight. "Why is OIATO getting involved with one of the largest hotel developers in the Orange Islands?"

Suddenly, the doors to the warehouse burst open. "Hold it right there, OIATO!" Forrest shouted as he and Iolana charged inside. "Give yourselves up!"

The two male teenagers made fierce eye contact. Magma sneered as he took out a Pokéball, "Ha! I don't think so, Ranger! Saturn, destroy that bat!"

A large upside-down Pokéball with wide eyes and weird eyebrows landed on the ground. Forrest touched his cap with his left fingertips. "So your Voltorb finally evolved into an Electrode. But that won't make any difference. Iolana, Poison Fang!"

"Now's our chance!" We ran towards the machine, only to find Terra blocking our path.

She laughed and boasted, "So it seems the Ranger brought in some pesky allies. Now, we have complete control. Your Pokémon are under our command, and the rest of your teams will face the same fate if you sent any of them out!" I gritted my teeth as Lightning and Ichigo stood in front of her, ready to attack.

"That Hypno's controlling the Pokémon with his psychic powers!" Yuki gasped. Out of the corner of my eye, the unusual Pokémon in the machine made the Electric types moved with a flick of his hands.

Terra was stunned, but her confusion turned to anger. "How did you know that?! It doesn't matter. You two, attack!"

Her Pokémon's eyes glowed blue, causing Lightning and Ichigo to lunge at us. Noticing Yuki was frozen in place, I pushed her out of the way and we slammed onto the concrete floor.

"Are you okay, Yuki?" I asked, despite the slight scrapes on my legs. Although she was still frightened, she nodded.

Shouts of worry came behind us. "Hang in there, Iolana..."

My friend fearfully whispered, "What can we do? No one can help us..."

I helped her up and encouraged, "You can't give up so easily, Yuki. Our Pokémon need us, remember? We have to do something."

Yuki then glanced at our surroundings and came up with a crazy strategy. "Okay, let's trying destroying the machine with Lightning and Ichigo. We have enough space to run around, and the walls won't reflect any lightning bolts at us."

I was surprised she knew so much about the place with a few looks, but I nodded. "All right. I'll go left, and you go right?"

"Got it." She then waved her arms. "Hey, Ichigo! Can't catch me!"

The Cheering Pokémon grew angry from the taunt and ran after his fleeing Trainer. Following her lead, I teased Lightning. "Come on, Lightning! You need to work on your speed!"

The Raichu growled and jumped at me. I easily dodged both her paws and tail and ran around Terra. The teen was confused by our tactics but didn't do anything about it. Lightning, realizing she couldn't catch me on foot, began to use Thunderbolt on me. Remembering my training with Koga, I somersaulted forward to evade the bolts.

Yuki, on the other hand, narrowly dodged her Pokémon's attacks. She then inched closer to where Hypno was, making the Psychic type nervous. Terra realized what we were doing and shouted, "Get away from there!"

"Oh no you don't!" I roared and tackled her to the ground while dodging another Thunderbolt.

Yuki then called out, "Hey, Lightning and Ichigo! Try to hit me!"

The two Electric types glared at the girl and fired two strong yellow bolts. She ducked, causing the attacks to hit the machine and destroy it with an explosion. The building shook for several seconds, then the humming abruptly stopped. Terra and I shielded ourselves from the rubble, but when I looked up, Yuki was thrown a few feet away. She was grabbing onto her left ankle, but she mainly sustained several cuts and scrapes from the blast. Forrest, who just narrowly defeated Magma, frantically ran over to his friend's side. I joined the Ranger in assessing Yuki's injuries. The OIATO members, realizing the plan failed, fled during the commotion.

"Yuki! Are you okay?!" Forrest screamed.

She winced in pain, but she murmured, "I'm fine, Forrest. Guess my calculations had a few flaws despite accounting for the physics... My ankle might be sprained... "

I flinched at hearing the familiar injury and saw Ichigo running toward his Trainer. Tears were streaming down his face. As Yuki petted her worried friend, I realized our Pokémon returned to normal and put my earpiece back on. Luckily, it wasn't badly damaged by the earlier interference.

"Summer!" Lightning ran over, scared about our safety. "I'm so sorry! I couldn't stop attacking you and Yuki! I could've-"

"It's okay, Lightning," I reassured. "I know it wasn't your fault." But her smile didn't return.

Forrest then carefully lifted the injured girl into his arms. "We need to take Yuki to the hospital. And they should check on our injuries as well." Suddenly Iolana emerged from a darkened hallway near the main entrance. A Persian, a Rhydon, and a Blastoise followed her, confused about their location. The Ranger scanned them. "These are the missing Pokémon I've been looking for, but the police can handle that. Come on, Summer. I'll tell you more about what's going on at the hospital."

 **An hour later...**

I stood in the waiting area of the third floor of North Mandarin Hospital, informing Daisy what happened through my Pokégear.

{I'm glad no one was seriously hurt,} Daisy sighed with relief. {How long will it take Yuki to recover?}

"The doctor said it'll take a few days, but she won't have any lasting damage."

{Good thing we're doing multiple shows here this week. So take some time to relax and recuperate. We don't need Yuki's and your Pokémon for the performances.}

"Thanks, Daisy. I told Yuki to call you when she's released from the hospital."

{Great. Thanks for keeping me updated. See you later, Summer.}

"Bye, Daisy." After I hung up, I saw Lightning was still a little shaken up. I stopped and bent down. "Lightning, are you still upset about what happened today?"

A tear rolled down her cheek. "S-Summer... I...I..."

I hugged the crying Raichu. "It's okay, Lightning. I know you didn't mean to. Cheer up and be the confident and happy Pokémon I know you are."

She wiped away her tears and softly smiled at me. A ding echoed behind us as Forrest came out of the elevator holding a bouquet of yellow roses and white lilies. We then walked down the clean white hallway to Yuki's room, which overlooked the harbor.

"How are you doing, Yuki?" I asked when we entered the small room. She was lying on a bed and wearing the white nightgown the hospital provided. Her left leg was hoisted upwards with the ankle wrapped in gauze.

She softly smiled. "I'm fine. Still the same as earlier." Ichigo sat in the corner, depressed with the earlier events. Lightning walked over and comforted him as Forrest placed the flowers into the vase on the dresser table. "Forrest...what happened to Magma?" she worriedly asked. "Why is he involved with people like OIATO?"

Forrest sighed.

"So you three knew each other before this?" I asked, curious about their past.

Forrest and Yuki nodded, then the Ranger explained, "Yeah, we met at Tangelo Elementary School. Unlike schools in the other regions, we also took occupation classes to help prepare us for our future. I was in the Ranger course, and Magma was in the Enforcement course."

Yuki added, "I came almost three years ago and did the Coordinator course. We met...through an unusual circumstance."

"Very true," Forrest said with a reminiscent grin. "Anyway, I'll stay here with Yuki until visiting hours are over. Go ahead and get some rest, Summer."

"Are you sure?" I was curious about their past, but I knew it wasn't the right time to ask. After the two nodded, I replied, "Okay, I'll be staying at the Pokémon Center if you need me."

I waved goodbye and motioned Lightning to follow me. Feeling a little better, we went to the Pokémon Center to request a room.

 **Pokémon: Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls (Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower (Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What do you think of Forrest?

What do you think happened to Magma that caused him to join OIATO?


	6. OI SC1

**Welcome to the first side chapter of the Orange Islands story! This features Yuki during her hospital stay. I hope you enjoy it! :)**

 **Side Chapter 1- Contest Rehabilitation**

Yuki tried to get comfortable in her hospital bed, but she was restless from all of the intense events earlier. What occupied her mind most was her friend, or former friend now. _I can't believe Magma gave up all his ideals…to become someone supporting the extremist values of OIATO. Had he lied to me and Forrest all this time?_

She then felt Ichigo shifting around to her left, trying to get some sleep. He was crying again, still upset over what happened. As she gently petted his ears, the pain she felt emanating from him was excruciating. Someone rapped on the door to her room. She looked up and saw Forrest enter with her dinner tray of roasted vegetables and fried rice.

"Thank you, Forrest," Yuki softly said appreciatively. "This looks better than I expected."

The Ranger chuckled, then sat in the visitor's chair. "Of course, Yuki. This hospital has some of the best food in the archipelago." His focus then shifted to the sniffling Minun. "Will Ichigo be all right?"

She nodded. "I think so, but I don't know how to cheer him up."

"Why not do an appeals performance for the patients here?" Forrest suggested. "They'll love it, for sure!" He thought his friend would be thrilled, but she just remained silent and looked away. He knew her long enough to know when she was evasive; there was something deeply troubling her. "You know, Yuki. You haven't really been yourself lately. Is something wrong?"

The girl deeply sighed. "I don't know... With the Grand Festival loss...and my treatment with my Pokémon... Everything's been going wrong with my journey while Azura's going so well. She got into the Top 8. Maybe I shouldn't be a Coordinator anymore..."

Forrest was shocked at his friend's confession. "B-But why? You did so well in the Coordinator course at school!"

Unable to hold her emotions any longer, Yuki screamed, "The real world is too different! I almost didn't make it into the Hoenn Grand Festival. And losing to Azura...!" She paused and whispered, "I thought going to Hoenn would be easier since they have more support for Coordinators. But...b-but…I'm still...not..." Her words turned into sobs, and she put her hands over her eyes. Ichigo immediately woke up and became more concerned. As he tried to comfort her, Yuki's other Pokémon popped out of their Pokéballs. Momo and her Swellow, Ume, were equally as worried and tried to comfort the crying girl.

Forrest softly smiled. "Yuki. I know you're upset, but your Pokémon truly care about you. Why don't you talk to them?"

"But I can't understand them! I'm not like Summer...she can understand her Pokémon because of her Pokédex."

"That didn't stop her earlier. She knew the Pokémon were not themselves; I saw her take off the earpiece and focus on freeing them. She was being herself, and you should be too. Confident, optimistic, wise, supportive. Those adjectives describe you perfectly."

Yuki became silent. _I really haven't been myself…? I can't let this continue any longer..._ "Guys," she addressed her teammates. "Let's all work together to become the best team in Pokémon Contest history. I promise to help each of you if you all can help me not doubt myself. Okay?"

The Wartortle, Swellow, and Minun looked at each other, then smiled at the Trainer they bonded with. "Thank you! Now, let's plan that show for the patients here."

Forrest couldn't help but grin at the return of his friend's optimism as they began to plan for the show.

 **The next day...**

"All set!" Forrest shouted with pride as he made the finishing touches to the temporary stage in the hospital's courtyard.

Yuki, wearing a light blue-sleeved dress with silver sparkles at the edge of the hem, slowly approached him on her crutches. As part of her stage look, she braided the back of her hair while leaving the front strands straight. Dr. Kumquat, the director of Mandarin North Hospital, accompanied the Coordinator to the stage.

After the Coordinator slowly limped onto the temporary theater, the doctor followed the patient, her black heels tapping on the orange stairs. She placed her glasses onto her forehead and said, "Thank you for doing this for our patients, Yuki and Forrest. I know they'll love the appeals performance. We'll also be recording this live so those who can't leave their rooms will be able to enjoy the spectacle."

An orderly brought a black camcorder and silver tripod from the building. As he set up the video equipment, other workers brought out foldable chairs. Yuki nervously placed the appropriate Seals on her Pokéballs as they finished setting up.

Forrest placed a comforting hand on his friend's right shoulder. "Relax, Yuki. You'll be great."

She gave him a nervous but confident smile. "Thanks, Forrest."

They noticed the nurses bringing the able patients to their seats. The excitement and anticipation from their whispers and grins eased the girl, making her excited to perform again. After returning the balls onto her glittering silver belt, the Ranger guided Yuki to a chair at the far center of the stage so she could direct her Pokémon without putting too much pressure on her recovering ankle. The two waved, then Forrest followed Dr. Kumquat to their seats in front of the stage.

As the last people filed to their seats, Yuki closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. _Alright, Yuki, it's time to shine!_ She exhaled and opened her eyes, smiling at her audience. "How's everyone doing today?" she shouted with peppiness in her voice. The crowd answered with a loud applause. "Excellent! My name is Yuki Mizu, and I'm so happy to perform for you! I hope you enjoy it!"

After another round of enthusiastic clapping, she threw her three Pokéballs into the air. Momo jumped forward to her left in a spray of pink bubbles. Ichigo spun in the opposite direction as blue lightning bolts shot out of his Pokéball. Finally, Ume soared upwards, white streaks of light extruding from her wings. The crowd was amazed at their entrance, giving Yuki the go-ahead for the next step.

"Momo, Water Gun! Ichigo, Discharge!" she commanded, throwing her right hand into the air.

The two nodded and launched their attacks above the audience. The water and electricity collided and created a ball of water charged with crackling blue sparks. Ume flew in front of her teammates, ready for her cue.

 _Okay, now for the main combination…_ "Ume, spin and use Quick Attack!"

The Swellow nodded and dove towards the combined move, her body creating a bright whirlwind as she twirled around. The crowd, especially Yuki, held their breath as the Flying type popped the orb with her beak. Because of her increased speed, the Discharge and Water Gun surrounded her, trailing behind the Swallow Pokémon. The light blue and yellow colors highlighted Ume's blue feathers and made them shine in the sunlight. The patients excitedly clapped, making Yuki more energized.

However, the girl noticed something was wrong with Ume. The Flying type's determined face became pained as the super effective attack began to damage her. Yuki was shocked and couldn't utter a command. _Oh no...! Not again! No...I can't think that. My Pokémon need me!_ The girl called out, "Ichigo, somersault onto Ume!"

The Minun, noticing his teammate's struggle and the urgency in Yuki's voice, immediately launched at the Swellow. Ume gratefully allowed him onto her back, and he absorbed the electricity back into his body. The Swallow Pokémon's relief calmed her Trainer down immensely, especially since the crowd didn't notice, allowing her to begin her final combination.

"Ichigo, use Hidden Power! And Momo, use Ice Beam!"

The Cheering Pokémon, with the additional power, jumped off of Ume and hurled several orbs of ocean blue energy tailed by yellow sparks. As the Hidden Power circled over the courtyard, Momo Jumped up and unleashed a light-blue beam from his mouth. The Ice type attack forced the orbs to stop in mid air and plummet to the ground.

"All right, Ume! Swift for the finale!"

She nodded and flapped her wings vigorously, releasing ten white stars that swirled into the falling frozen spheres. Once the move made contact, the spheres exploded into white and yellow sparkles that gently covered the crowd. After her Pokémon returned to her side, everyone on stage bowed, signaling the end of their performance.

The patients whooped and clapped, amazed at the Coordinator and her Pokémon. As everyone got up for a standing ovation, Yuki whispered to her team, "You all did great. I'm so proud of you!" Happy with the praise, the four hugged each other and laughed, ready to put the past behind them.

 **Later that day...**

"I still can't get over how incredible that performance was, Yuki!" Forrest exclaimed in Yuki's hospital room.

The girl and her Minun laughed. "Thank you, Forrest! It felt great! I'm starting to feel better!" She then paused. "Well, almost better."

Forrest's solemn expression returned. "What is it?"

"It's...it's about Magma... Do you know what happened to him?"

The Ranger crossed his arms. "Yeah... But are you sure you want to hear about what I know?"

Before Yuki could say anything, two loud thumps echoed from the floor's waiting area.

"Summer! Are you okay?" a nurse concernedly asked.

Her friend weakly replied, "Yeah...just overexerted myself today. Can you help me get to Yuki's room?"

"O-Of course!" Footsteps, then the noise of a wheelchair.

 _I hope Summer's okay..._ Yuki nervously thought.

Summer entered the room, slightly leaning back into the black wheelchair. She was lightly groaning in pain as Lightning crawled through the doorway, sharing the same feelings as her Trainer. The nurse then briskly left, most likely to get some strong aspirin to ease the girl's muscle aches.

Yuki shockingly asked, "What happened to you, Summer?" She then noticed her friend's T-shirt and shorts. "Did you do something athletic?"

Summer weakly smiled. "Well...it's a long story..."


	7. OI 6

**After Summer's first Gym challenge, the Eevee Showboat arrived on Mandarin North Island. As she and Yuki explored the city, their Pokémon became controlled by OIATO and were ordered to attack them. Thanks to a Pokémon Ranger named Forrest, they were able to save Lightning and Ichigo but at the cost of injuring Yuki. As Yuki rests at the Mandarin North Hospital, Summer decides to do some training to pass the time. However, it's so unusual, her Pokémon are unsure about the results. What is it and who will she focus on training?**

 **Chapter 6- A Pokémon City Triathlon**

Lightning and I left the Mandarin North Pokémon Center after shopping all afternoon for souvenirs. There were less people in the streets, since most of the population went home or to the Eevee Showboat. Since Yuki and I had a few days off, I booked a room at the Pokémon Center.

"What should we do now?" Lightning asked with a slight flick of her tail. "Should we do some training?"

"Good idea," I replied. "But I don't know where to go."

Suddenly, a Growlithe wearing a blue headband slammed into my Pokémon, causing the two to tumble to my right. Once they stopped, the Mouse Pokémon slowly rubbed her head while the Puppy Pokémon sadly stood up.

"Are you okay?" I asked the two.

Before I could get an answer, I heard someone shout, "Streak!" It was a boy around the age of twelve with short brown hair also held back with a blue headband. The blue tank top and black shorts were drenched in sweat. He looked at us and bowed. He mumbled in a slightly deep voice, "I'm so sorry! Streak was trying to practice sprinting to the Pokémon Center. Please apologize, Streak."

The Fire type embarrassing bowed and barked, "Forgive me!"

I smiled. "That's okay. Lightning's pretty used to it now." I ignored her annoyed look and introduced myself to the stranger. "I'm Summer, by the way. What are you doing?"

"I'm Ty, and we're training for the Pokémon Triathlon," the boy replied with a grin. Noticing our confused faces, he further explained, "It's a race that involves an athlete and three Pokémon for three sections: a Water type for swimming, a Flying type for biking, and any land Pokémon for running. This year's race will be around Mandarin North Island, with the prize being 10,000 Pokédollars and a year's supply of Pokémon food."

"That sounds like fun!" I exclaimed. "So you need a lot of training?"

"Not much. This race is for beginners, so anyone can sign up. You can do it tomorrow at the Pokémon Center."

Lightning smirked and slyly hinted, "You know, Summer. We do need some training…"

"We do, don't we?" I muttered. I then looked at Ty and said, "Okay, I'll sign up."

"Great! I'll see you at the Pokémon Center tomorrow, Summer. Come on, Streak, just a few more miles to go!" The racer and his Pokémon ran inland then out of sight.

We walked back into the Pokémon Center. I spied some educational sports books on a brown shelf next to the reception desk. _Time to do some research…_

 **The next day…**

"You sure about this, Dudette?" Swirls asked as we waited to sign up for the triathlon. Instead of my usual outfit, I wore a light blue T-shirt, black shorts, and my trusty tennis shoes.

"I agree with Ms. Swirls," Errol added as he flew close to us. "This method of training is quite unorthodox. Especially for us."

"You can thank Lightning for the suggestion," I teased as I tied my hair into a ponytail.

The two gave the Electric type annoyed looks, but she responded with a huff, "We do need the training."

"You're right…" they dejectedly acknowledged.

I further explained, "Besides, I read a book that was on the shelf called _The Beginner's Guide to Triathlons_. For some reason, the running section was "Ponyta approved", whatever that means. We just need to pace ourselves and take breaks when necessary. Plus, we can explore the island that way."

"That is true," Errol mused.

"Guess that's cool…" Swirls replied with a shrug.

Lightning beamed at the agreement, and we moved closer to the registration desk. After a quick discussion about which Pokémon I would be using, I received a navy blue drawstring bag to hold my clothes during the swimming portion and water bottles throughout the rest of the race. To obtain any updates to the race path, I finally received the Radio app for my Pokégear. Once registration was done, we left the building and saw Ty with his Growlithe, Staryu, and Pidgeotto. His other two Pokémon were also wearing light blue headbands.

"Hi, Ty!" I happily greeted. "Your Pokémon look ready to race!"

He turned around and smiled back. "Glad to see you made it! Are you ready?"

Before I could respond, a slightly muscular boy looked around with a sneer on his face. He wore a light purple tank top, white shorts, and a purple headband that held back his dark hair. A three-head bird Pokémon with dark brown and black feathers stood close to him. "So this is the competition?!" He scoffed in an arrogant tone. "This should be easy, especially with my new Dodrio."

[Dodrio, the Triple Bird Pokémon and the evolved form of Doduo. A peculiar Pokémon species with three heads. It vigorously races across grassy plains even in arid seasons with little rainfall.]

"Is that a Pokédex?" the boy sneered when he heard the device finish speaking. "What a nerd."

"How dare you say that about Ms. Summer!" Errol defended.

I whispered to the Noctowl, "He can't understand you, Errol." This made the Owl Pokémon scowl.

"That wasn't very nice," Ty reprimanded as he stepped forward.

The taller boy crossed his arms. "Why should I be? Only the strong can win events like these, Ty Harper. You're no exception."

Ty clenched his fists. "That's not the deciding factor, Jesse Bolt. After all, it also involves the bonds with our Pokémon."

All of a sudden, a reporter walked up to us. The man, who was wearing a brown suit, explained in front of a cameraman, "It looks like there's going to be fierce competition for this year's Beginner Pokémon Triathlon, especially against the two top contenders, Ty Harper and Jesse Bolt. Both come from different backgrounds but are evenly matched. Now, let's get a word with these two."

As he interviewed Jesse, who was slightly annoyed with the interruption, I whispered to Ty, "I should go. See you at the starting line."

He nodded and I crept away from the three, with my Pokémon following close behind.

 **An hour later…**

"Welcome, everyone, to the 10th annual Beginner Pokémon Triathlon!" an announcer called out to the racers in front of the stage on Coral Beach. A small crowd gathered behind us, ready to send us off. After the cheering from everyone, the man continued, "With clear skies and calm waters, this should be a great race for all! The route has been marked out in red flags in the ocean, the hills, and the city. The first make it across the finish line at the Pokémon Center wins! Of course, this is a Pokémon based race, where racer and Pokémon must navigate together. The most important rule is that each pair must go at the same pace, in order to avoid unfair leads. Racers, to the starting line!"

Wearing my swimsuit, Swirls and I walked over to the white line on the sand. Farther to my right, Ty and Jesse glared at each other. The latter's Water type was a blue bipedal duck with a ruby on his forehead and a body built for swimming.

[Golduck, the Duck Pokémon and the evolved form of Psyduck. A Golduck is an adept swimmer. It sometimes joins competitive swimmers in training. It uses psychic powers when its forehead shimmers with light.]

"Dudette! Really?!" The Poliwhirl indignantly complained.

"What? It did give important information…"

After all fifty participants arrived at the starting line, the announcer shouted, "On your mark, get set, RACE!"

Most of the racers immediately dove into the ocean with their Pokémon, with Ty and Jesse in the lead. However, I didn't budge.

"Dudette, what's eating you?" Swirls impatiently shouted.

I then told her our strategy. "The book said we should wait until most people get in the water. That way, it'll be less choppy water and make it easier to swim."

"Can't argue with that."

Once several others entered the blue waves, we dove into the cool water and swam within the flag buffer. I alternated freestyle and backstroke to conserve the energy in my arms and legs. Swirls guided me during the latter stroke due to the lack of visibility. We passed by several boys, who were starting to get exhausted from the paddling, and volunteers hauling them into small rowboats. After half an hour, we reached the other side of Coral Beach and walked onto the wet sand. A quick water break later, I returned Swirls, put my running clothes back on, and let out Errol.

As I mounted the orange bikes lined up at the checkpoint, Errol shouted, "We have to hurry, Ms. Summer! We are desperately behind. Even a Slowpoke would be faster than us!"

"Don't worry, Errol. I wasn't planning to win this race," I said as I finished putting on the provided orange helmet. "The book said to take extra time up hills to take advantage of the increase in speed down them."

The Noctowl sighed, slightly disappointed with my lack of competitiveness. "All right... If that is what that 'manual' advises…"

I lightly shook my head and pedaled towards the Citrus Peel Hills, a small mountain range with three hills covered in poppies and orange trees. Errol scanned the competition ahead and alerted me of any potential traffic. Some of the racers began to tire out at the second hill and were forced to quit. As several volunteers aided the tired kids, Errol slowly understood why I was following the book. I then listened to the radio.

{And in the lead are Ty Harper with his Pidgeotto, Glide, and Jesse Bolt with his Beedrill! Both teams are reaching the last stop before the running segment of the triathlon.}

 _That was quick…! But they are the favorites after all…_

After cruising down the last hill, we arrived at the final rest stop. I placed my bike into an empty bike rack and returned Errol. As I took off the helmet, Lightning burst out of her Pokéball, anxious about the current events of the race.

"Come on, Summer!" she shouted, angry with my complacency. "We need to catch up and win!"

I drank some water I got from a volunteer. "It's okay, Lightning. Like I told Errol earlier, I wasn't planning to win. Besides, the book said-"

"SCREW THE BOOK!"

She grabbed me with her tail and I was forced to run at a faster pace than I would like. After ten minutes, we were forced to stop at the edge of the city limits and take several deep breaths.

"I...I told...you…" I heaved as the Raichu woefully nodded. "W-We need...to...pace...ourselves...then...sprint...to the finish..."

"F-Fine!" she gasped. "We'll...do...what...the book...says..."

I stretched my legs and arms to regain some motion, then we continued into the downtown area. To my surprise, there were only four teams ahead of us, including Ty and Streak and Jesse and Dodrio. Despite the latter being ahead in first place, the Triple Bird Pokémon began to tire, forcing his Trainer to slow down as well.

"That's strange," I muttered to myself. "Dodrio have good endurance. I wonder if something happened to him."

Lightning looked at the Flying type's legs. "Summer! Something's caught on Dodrio's right leg."

I then scanned where she saw the object. "You're right! That's really dangerous, especially since Jesse's not slowing down to figure out what's wrong. Let's catch up and tell him."

The Raichu agreed with a determined nod. We then sprinted forward to the now third-place runners. The three-headed bird began to limp from the strain of a small rock wedged into his foot.

"Jesse!" I shouted. "You need to stop and help your Dodrio! Can't you see he's in pain?"

"I don't need help from a newbie athlete!" he scoffed, making me very upset.

Dodrio immediately came to a stop and panted. His Trainer, enraged at the hindrance, ran towards the finish line without his partner. The Flying type was appalled by his Trainer's actions, and the sad and angry heads cried in grief and rage.

 _That arrogant, selfish…!_ Lightning saw my upset face and knew what we had to do. We stopped and slowly approached the injured Pokémon.

"Get away!" the middle head squawked.

"Please...leave us alone…" the right one moaned. The left head was silent.

"Hey," I calmly replied. "I just want to help you. Let me see your right foot."

He sensed the truthfulness in my voice and willingly showed me his injury. Ignoring the other racers passing us, I carefully twisted the rock lodged in the center. Once it was freed, the joyful head affectionately nudged me. I happily petted him and stood up.

"Come on!" I waved. "Let's finish this race together!"

"Yeah!" the two Pokémon cheered.

* * *

On Citrus Peel Hills, a large yellow Pokémon with black pointed stripes watched the end of the race on the hill closest to the city. His face had a black and light blue mask that highlighted his jagged light blue tail. He chuckled when he saw a girl and her Raichu stop to help an injured Dodrio who was deserted by his Trainer.

"I can see why Kazan is so interested in her. She is just like our Guardian..." he muttered to himself. But before he could continue his observation, he heard more bikers approaching. Not wanting to be seen, he dashed away, his purple mane flowing behind him.

* * *

We then sprinted to the finish line, and after five minutes, we passed the Pokémon Center and the white line marked on the road. Happy that we finished the grueling race, we looked at the leader board to see our results. To my surprise, we were still in the Top 5. Not surprisingly, Jesse was disqualified, despite coming in first.

"But I made it to the line first!" the disqualified runner complained to an official in a blue suit.

The man disappointedly shook his head. "I'm sorry, Jesse, but you broke the number one rule: racers and their Pokémon must be together at all times. You abandoned your Dodrio to win. I hope you learn from this."

As the official walked away, Jesse's head whipped around, his eyes angrily boring into his Pokémon. "This all your fault!" he roared. "I could've won!"

Before any of us could retort, Ty ran over. "That's enough, Jesse! You should've stopped and helped Dodrio. This is all your fault."

"Why you…!" Before Jesse could approach his rival, Dodrio formed a triangle with his heads and shot a white triangle at his Trainer. As the boy was thrown back by the ice, lightning, and fire, a Pokéball fell from his belt and smashed onto the floor. A blue sparkling light surrounded the Flying type, then it disappeared.

"I don't belong to you anymore!" the three heads shouted. Defeated, Jesse angrily stood up and stomped away, trying to ignore the pesky reporter from earlier.

"Are you okay?" Ty asked us. "I heard what happened on the radio."

"I'm fine," I replied. "Dodrio's injury wasn't too bad."

"Just in case, I should take him to the Pokémon Center." He stroked the bird's neck. "You've been through a lot, haven't you, Dodrio? In that case, why don't you join my team? You and Streak can alternate the running portion during my races." The happy head shrieked with joy, and Streak excitedly jumped up and down.

I laughed at the sight. "You'll do great in the next race, Ty!"

"Thanks, Summer!"

As the remaining racers finished at the Pokémon Center, they ushered us to a small three-tiered podium for the announcement of the top three racers. Ty, a boy with a yellow lightweight shirt and black shorts, and a girl with a pink tank top and gray skirt stood in the respective spots."

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer started the awards ceremony. "It's time for our winners to mount the podium! In third place, Clarice Jones!" Polite clapping interrupted the announcements. "In second place, Bobby Wright! And finally, in first place, Ty Harper!"

I loudly clapped for my friend, who gladly accepted a large gold trophy from the official. After ceremonial pictures and more socialization with other participants, the rest of us received special pins for participating in the triathlon. As I admired the design, an orange behind a green, white, and blue background, Ty approached us with his trophy clutched towards his chest.

"What are you going to do now, Ty?" I asked the winner.

He grinned and replied, "Training again, but I'm sending the money and food back to my family. They run a Pokémon nursery and crystal shop on Sunburst Island. You should visit; there's a crystal festival in a few days. You'll see some amazing figurines and sculptures!"

"Thanks for the suggestion, Ty! Congrats and good luck with your training!"

He laughed and we shook hands. "Good luck with your journey, Summer! I hope we meet again."

We waved goodbye and went our separate ways. Lightning and I walked to the hospital to see how Yuki was doing.

"How do you feel, Lightning?" I asked my partner.

Her tail slightly drooped from tiredness. "I'm fine, Summer. What about you?"

"I feel really good! Maybe we should do another race in the future!"

We laughed as we entered the building. But when we entered the elevator, my legs started to feel jiggly. _Oh no! The race made my muscles sore!_

The doors opened and I tried to walk out, only for my body to fall forward and slam onto the white tiled floor. After Lightning followed suit, the nurse at the reception desk shouted with concern, "Summer! Are you okay?"

I weakly replied, "Yeah...just overexerted myself today. Can you help me get to Yuki's room?"

"O-Of course!"

I groaned as she left to get a wheelchair and decided the next time I do a race, I should take pain relievers after I run.

 **Pokémon: Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls (Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower (Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What did you think of the triathlon?

Who was the Pokémon watching Summer?


	8. OI 7

**As Yuki recovered from her injuries, Summer decided to participate in a triathlon that was being held the next day. Despite having little experience, she was able to win 5** **th** **place with Swirls, Errol, and Lightning. On the next island, Summer and Yuki explored a festival and met a crystal maker who needed more materials for his works. But someone wants to exploit the source of the crystals on the island, even if it meant potentially destroying the local economy. Will Summer and Yuki be able to stop him?**

 **P.S.- Please see my profile for an important announcement!**

 **Chapter 7- A Burst of Steel and Crystal**

After spending a few more days on Mandarin North Island to recover from our injuries, we were finally ready to set sail to the next island. As we waited for Daisy to come get us at the Pokémon Center, Forrest arrived to see us off and to fill us in about his mission at the warehouse.

"You mean, OIATO stole those Pokémon to attack their owners?!" Yuki said, shocked, after the Ranger finished his story. "I recognized Mr. Norton's name, but I didn't expect other people were affected."

Forrest sadly nodded. "Yes. His Persian, Mrs. Spray's Blastoise, and The Crusher's Rhydon. Most likely attempts to force them to stop their current projects. All of them are involved with the hotel business: development, construction, demolition. I believe OIATO targeted them due to their wealth and reputation."

"But if they're following the laws, then they shouldn't be targeted by OIATO, right?" I wondered aloud.

The Ranger was hesitant to answer. "Well… I'm not supposed to talk about this, but I trust you two. Don't tell anyone what I told you, okay?" We both nodded, despite the uneasiness I suddenly felt. He took a deep breath and whispered, "There are rumors that these three have been bribing the government to not comply with the stricter environmental laws to minimize construction times and maximize profits. Of course they denied it, but there have been investigative reports about their activities."

"So OIATO believed threatening them would expose their crimes?" I asked, disturbed by this realization.

"Nothing's determined yet. But it seems to lean that way." The boy saw his friend's worried face. "Yuki. I'll do my best to figure out what's going on with Magma and why he decided to join OIATO." We then noticed Daisy and Twinberry happily approach us. "Good luck on your journey, Summer and Yuki." After saying hello to Yuki's aunt, he departed on Iolana while we returned to the boat.

 **The next day...**

Yuki and I explored the vendor booths at the annual Sunburst Island Glass and Crystal Fair. The island was warmer than the others were, most likely from the fires needed create the delicate works of art. A slight breeze made the palm trees gently sway, providing us and the other visitors natural air-conditioning. Because Daisy needed most of our Pokémon for the _Prism Power_ show tonight, only two of our Pokémon joined our excursion. While Yuki and Ume gazed at some crystal decorations, Errol and I explored some booths nearby.

"Ms. Summer, I do not see why you do not allow Mr. Rocky to accompany us!" Errol complained as I glanced at some beautifully crafted glass vases. "I believe he will appreciate the value of these luxurious decorations."

I sighed, a hint of annoyance in my voice. "There's not enough room for him to slither on the roads. Plus, I don't want him to break anything. You know I can't afford most of these items. Besides, I just had a nightmare about accidentally letting him out on the ship, causing him to sink the Eevee Showboat. If it makes you feel any better, I was going to let him out on a nearby beach so he can relax with us." The Noctowl grumbled something inaudible, but I didn't care to figure it out.

Then, something silver caught my eye. I walked over to an oak table covered by a light blue tent. On it was a mix of crystal and sterling silver figurines of easily recognizable Pokémon. What caught my interest were crystal figures accented with silver to highlight certain parts of the Pokémon. _Wow, these figurines look so lifelike, almost as if they're alive!_

"Hello there!" I looked up and saw a young man with a dark brown ponytail smiling at me. He wore a dark apron, which covered his light blue shirt and olive slacks. "Are you interested in anything?" he asked with a sturdy tone.

I smiled. "I don't know. These figurines are so realistic, I can't choose one!"

He heartily laughed. "I appreciate the comment. I learned from a great crystal maker, then I expanded to include silver both as figurines and accents. My name's Smith."

We shook hands. "I'm Summer, and this is Errol, my Noctowl."

To my surprise, his brown eyes lit up. "So you must be the girl my brother mentioned. Pretty impressive to win 5th place with little experience."

I giggled. "Thanks, Smith. Though it took me a while to recover."

"Racing does do that to you. And you're friends with the crew on the Eevee Showboat?! I'm a big fan of their shows."

A woman slightly shorter than Smith approached us. Her light brown hair was tied back into a ponytail, and her blue eyes highlighted her lightly tanned skin. "Smith, we're running out of crystal again."

The man stroked his chin. "Looks like I have to go back to Crystal Cave again. Thanks, Crissy. Can you handle things from here?"

She sweetly smiled. "Of course, Smith." She then looked at me. "You must be Summer. Can you go help Smith? He gets easily distracted when he harvests crystals."

Smith was slightly offended, but he gave a hopeless smile. "Can't argue with that."

"Hey Summer!" Yuki and Ume joined me under the tent.

I asked the pair, "Can my friend, Yuki, come with us?"

"Of course!" Smith happily shouted. "I need all the help I can get, especially from the niece of my favorite showboat owner. Come on, girls!"

 _Wow...does he really get that distracted?_

Despite my thoughts, we followed him east past the town. I filled Yuki in on what we were doing, and she was excited to search for the beautiful minerals. As we walked through a lush forest, there were a lot of people waiting around.

Smith immediately became concerned. "That's strange. There shouldn't be this many people here. He better not be doing that again…"

Before either of us could inquire the man, a shout echoed through the trees. "Come one, come all for the exclusive Crystal Cave tours! Your last chance for a once in a lifetime journey led by yours truly, Sterling Chalice!"

"Oh no, not again!" Smith then informed us about that strange advertisement. "That guy's Sterling Chalice, a freelance tour guide. He likes to take people to less visited areas around the Orange Island, for a price. Unfortunately, most of these places are not meant for tourists. They're either protected habitats or locations for protected resources."

"Doesn't the government do anything against him?" I asked.

Smith sadly sighed. "The Orange Islands Environmental Department recently declared Crystal Cave a natural landmark where only those who practice crystal blowing can enter. Unfortunately, that decree won't be valid until next month, so Sterling's taking full advantage of that."

Ume and Errol were greatly upset at the thought of someone taking advantage of the system. I protested, "That's not right! Can't we do something?"

As Smith was about to respond, a loud roar silenced him. The mob of people fled back into town.

"I knew we shouldn't have done this!" A man in a bright shirt yelled.

His wife agreed, "You're right! That Onix is such a nuisance!"

Smith wanted to lecture the visitors but kept his mouth shut. Chasing after his clientele was a short balding man with an olive green polo shirt and bright orange shorts. A large blue bat with purple wings and large eyes closely followed his Trainer.

[Golbat, the Bat Pokémon and the evolved form of Zubat. Its fangs easily puncture even thick animal hide. It loves to feast on the blood of people and Pokémon. It flits about in darkness and strikes from behind.]

The man was forced to stop due to his unhealthy weight. As he panted, he looked up and saw the three of us staring at him. He growled in a raspy voice, "So it's you...Smith Harper! The biggest thorn in my side on Sunburst Island."

Smith frowned. "You know as well as I do that Crystal Cave is not meant for the public, Sterling!"

The unpleasant man scoffed, "That's Sterling Chalice. And I don't care. It's only dangerous because that Crystal Onix's still there." Suddenly, an eerie smile crept over his face. "But if I catch that Onix...then I'll make a fortune!"

The crystal maker was horrified. "No, I forbid you! Without the Crystal Onix, Crystal Cave will no longer create natural crystals!"

"Who cares? The only guy I look out for is myself, Sterling Chalice!" The man and his Golbat quickly dashed further in the forest.

Smith roared, "Oh no you don't!" I was so stunned by the change in attitude that I couldn't stop him from chasing the greedy man.

I waved to my friend. "Come on, Yuki! Let's help Smith!"

She firmly nodded. "Ume, guide us through the forest!"

"Errol, follow Smith and Sterling Chalice!"

The Flying types took off and did as they were told. Yuki and I followed the Swellow through the woods until we reached another beach. A large granite cave stood on an atoll a ways from where we stood, the dark blue waves providing a natural barrier. To my surprise, only Errol waited for us at the beach; both Smith and Sterling Chalice were gone. _They must've crossed the ocean already…_

"We need to get to that cave," I said. Errol nodded and landed on the sand, waiting for me to climb on. After I adjusted myself onto my Pokémon, I looked back at Yuki and Ume, who were ready to go. We took off and arrived on the isle after a few minutes. Knowing our Flying types couldn't handle a cave environment, we returned them so they could get some rest.

Cautiously looking inside, crystals of various sizes and colors illuminated the opening due to the sunlight outside. Despite its outward appearance, the cave was much larger than it looked. A musty, cold breeze blew out, a dramatic difference to the heat. Yuki and I walked inside and saw footprints on the floor, which was dusted in light blue powder.

"Look, Summer!" My friend pointed to a fork further downward from the entrance. "The footprints separate into these two tunnels. What should we do?"

"We could split up, but we might not have reception. How about this?" I sent out Rocky, who was happy to be in a cave environment again.

"What is it, Summer?" he politely asked.

"Rocky, can you go into the right cave and see who's down there?"

The Onix pondered with concern, "Are you sure?"

I nodded firmly. "We have Errol and Ume in case something happens. You know how to travel around caves, so if we're in trouble, you'll know how to find us."

"All right then. Be safe, Summer." He then slithered into the right tunnel, which was the perfect size for him.

I took out my rock-climbing helmet and positioned it on my head. "Come on, Yuki."

She took a black flashlight out of her blue handbag and turned it on. "Right behind you."

We marched further into the blue cave, unable to see anything in front. It was quiet, which either meant both Smith and Sterling were farther ahead or that we couldn't find them. After what seemed like hours, Rocky appeared from a tunnel above us, carrying a person on his head. It was Smith.

"What happened, Smith?" I asked. I then noticed a large red bump over his head.

He groaned and answered, "I ran after Sterling, but his Golbat ambushed me from behind. I guess I was knocked out. If it wasn't for your Onix, I wouldn't have been found at all."

I gratefully petted Rocky after Smith slowly descended onto the cave floor. A loud roar echoed through the tunnel. A strong burst of wind hit us face first, but we were able to brace the impact.

Smith worriedly said, "We should hurry, girls. The Crystal Onix might be in trouble..."

We ran through the tunnel, despite the potential danger, until we arrived in a large room filled with blue crystals so pure, the lights from our devices made them reflect rainbow light. In the middle was a pool filled with mineral water and more blue crystals, making it the brightest spot in the cave. On the northern edge was Sterling Chalice and his Golbat, who was stirring up the waters with slashes of wind.

Smith tried to step forward, but his head injury distracted him. Yuki whispered, "Summer. I'll take Smith back to town. Can you handle Sterling Chalice?"

Rocky and I nodded. "Of course. Be safe, Yuki." The two then slowly went back into the tunnel towards the exit.

The devious man looked up and saw us running towards him. He laughed and taunted, "Are you here to stop me, little girl? I doubt it. Golbat, Supersonic!"

The Bat Pokémon screeched and emitted several white rings at Rocky. The Rock Snake Pokémon dodged to his right, but unfortunately hit the cave wall with his head. He winced in pain, but shook it off. The water in the pool began to ripple, then another Onix, much larger than Rocky shot upwards. As he roared, shaking the crystals in the room, I was astonished the Pokémon was made of crystal himself.

Sterling Chalice evilly chuckled. "Thanks for the help, little girl. Now, to catch that Crystal Onix! Golbat, Supersonic!"

The Crystal Onix retaliated with a fiery green Dragonbreath, but the Golbat easily flew around the attack. The latter then released more white rings, this time striking the target in the back of the head. In a blind rage, the Onix slammed his tail at everything he could, including the floor, walls, and ceiling. The crystals smashed, and debris sprayed everywhere. Unwilling to stay and continue to see the destruction from his actions, Sterling Chalice and Golbat fled through the other tunnel. Despite the increasing damages to the cave, I knew we had to help the Crystal Onix regain his senses.

Narrowly avoiding a falling crystal, I shouted as loud as I could, "Rocky, Dragonbreath!"

My Onix firmly nodded and unleashed the same colored fire at the confused Pokémon. The attack made contact, but it only made the Crystal Onix angrier. The room stopped shaking as the crystal-blue Pokémon emerged from the water and charged at Rocky. The unusual Onix moved so fast, Rocky was caught off guard and slammed into the wall behind us.

"Are you okay, Rocky?" I worriedly asked.

As he freed himself from the crystal and rock, the Crystal Onix's and my eyes connected. I felt a sadness in his eyes, but the confusion was blocking his senses. The Pokémon slowly lifted up his tail and swung it downwards at me. I tried to ran away, but I tripped over a broken crystal.

Rocky panicked and shouted, "Summer, watch out!" He charged head first and chomped onto the Crystal Onix's tail. The latter tried to shake his tail free, but Rocky refused to budge.

"Rocky, Dragonbreath!"

He growled and took advantage of his opponent's trapped tail to make direct contact. The Crystal Onix roared in pain, but slammed his head into Rocky's body. Despite the move not being effective, Rocky was pushed back again. I noticed he was panting from the battle, so this move will be his last.

The Crystal Onix charged at Rocky once more, but my Pokémon stood firm, ready to counterattack. "Rocky, Iron Tail at full power!"

He nodded and charged up his tail. Recognizing the timing in his opponent's speed, his silvery tail smashed into the Crystal Onix's left cheek. The Onix weakly roared and collapsed onto the floor, making the water splash into the air. Once the room no longer shook, Rocky and I slowly approached the injured Pokémon.

The light blue Pokémon slowly opened his eyes, which were no longer glassy and dazed. He gratefully looked at us. "Thank you for bringing me back to my senses, young one. You and your Onix are quite a formidable team."

"Thank you, Crystal Onix. Are you hurt?"

He rose off the ground. "I will recover. The water here helps heal many of my injuries. However..." he sadly looked at the damages. "It will take some time for the crystals to regrow in my cave."

"Summer!" I turned towards the tunnel I came from and saw Yuki and Smith running towards me. The man's bump was covered by a strap of bandages.

The crystal maker surveyed the dismal scene. "Oh no..." he lamented. He then looked at the uniquely colored Onix. "I'm sorry, Crystal Onix. The people and I will do our best to help you clean the cave and restore the delicate balance in here." The Pokémon leaned down towards the man and softly nudged him.

"What happened to Sterling Chalice?" I asked my friend.

Yuki smiled. "He came out about ten minutes after us. But unfortunately for him, I called the police and they arrested him for endangerment and destruction of a future protected landmark."

I was deeply relieved that despicable man would no longer hurt anyone else. I thanked Rocky and returned him to give him a good rest. After waving goodbye to the Crystal Onix, we left the cave and returned to the village. Smith informed everyone what happened, and they all agreed to visit Crystal Cave tomorrow to start the restoration process. The crystal maker then invited us back to his tent.

"Thank you, girls, for helping me and our island," Smith praised. "As thanks, let me make you something."

"I thought you don't have enough crystal," I pointed out.

He grinned. "I have some left, plus I have a lot of silver my Skarmory produces. I'll have them done tonight. I was planning to watch the Prism Power show, so I'll see you there!"

 **Later that day...**

"Great show, everyone!" Daisy applauded to the crew backstage as the crowd began to leave the theater. "Now get ready for bed. We're leaving first thing tomorrow."

We all nodded and left the room. Yuki and I saw Smith and Crissy, who were dressed in a gray suit and blue dress respectively, waiting for us in the lobby. The man was holding a small paper bag on his right arm.

"What a wonderful show!" Smith happily said. "I loved the special effects and the action scene."

Crissy giggled. " _Prism Power_ never does get old!"

"Thank you, Smith," Yuki replied as I cheerfully nodded in agreement.

Smith then took an item out of the bag. "For Yuki, I made a silver snowflake figurine with crystal dew drops. In the center is the image of a Lapras."

Yuki accepted the gift and bowed in thanks.

"Next, for Summer..." he took out two items. "First is a small crystal Onix figurine with silver eyes. It's quite lifelike since the crystal came from the Crystal Onix's room."

I took the figurine and gently held it in my left hand. "Thanks, Smith. What's the second item?"

He gave me a sly grin and showed us a round silver box. "This is a Metal Coat. It's great for powering up Steel type moves, but it's true power is allowing Onix and Scyther to evolve."

 _That's right...Onix only evolve during trades while holding a Metal Coat..._

"Great! It'll take some time for me and Rocky to decide if he wants to evolve, but I definitely hold onto this."

"Thank you again, Summer and Yuki," Smith said after he handed me the evolutionary item. "Good luck!"

We waved goodbye to the couple and returned to our rooms, ready for a good night's sleep.

 **Pokémon: Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls (Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower (Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What did you think of the events in Crystal Cave?

Will Summer use the Metal Coat to evolve Rocky?


	9. OI 8

**Summer and Yuki arrived on Sunburst Island for the annual Glass and Crystal Fair. After meeting Ty's brother, Smith, and his girlfriend, Crissy, the girls helped Smith stop an evil man trying to exploit the local Crystal Cave and its uniquely colored guardian. As a reward, Smith gave Summer a Metal Coat for Rocky. On route to the next island, a special reward brings the two friends and Will to a place known for its special Berries. However, retrieving it is not as easy as it seems. What events will Summer and Yuki encounter on this remote island?**

 **Chapter 8- A Berry Hunt**

At one of the Eevee Showboat's restaurant tables, Lightning and I quietly folded brochures and pamphlets for the upcoming show on Kinnow Island. This time, the performance was a Detective Moonflower show.

"I can't wait to see how Detective Moonflower will solve the case!" Lightning eagerly said.

I laughed. "Me too! Especially since her archrival, Sergeant Redwood, is pursuing the same case."

Suddenly, a loud squeal echoed through the floor, startling us. Daisy gleefully ran towards us as Yuki, Will, and Marybelle emerged from the auditorium.

"My goodness, Daisy," the older woman gently scolded. "Your scream made the rehearsal all too real."

The owner embarrassingly giggled. "I'm sorry, everyone, but I have great news! We're one of the ten organizations selected for this year's Pinkan Berry harvest!"

Will was stunned, and to my surprise, he knelt down and tears slowly streamed down his face.

"Oh stop being so dramatic, Will…" Marybelle teased as Yuki awkwardly patted him on the back.

The brawny man sniffled. "I-I'm fine… Just a little overwhelmed is all…"

Daisy saw Yuki and my confused faces and explained, "You see, girls, there's an island west of Kinnow Island called Pinkan Island. It's a Pokémon reserve that specializes in pink Pokémon."

"Like Clefairy and Jigglypuff?" I asked.

"Not quite. For example, instead of seeing a normal Raichu, a Raichu there will be entirely pink!"

"That's amazing!" Yuki gasped.

"I know, right? A special, endemic fruit called the Pinkan Berry makes whoever eats constant quantities of it become pink. Because of that, and the uniquely colored Pokémon, the island is protected by the government."

"So how come you're getting some rare berries, Daisy?" I curiously asked.

Will stood up, recovered from his brief shock. "Allow me to explain, Summer. Running the Pinkan Island Reserve is pretty expensive. To get more money, the government has allowed acceptable organizations to buy raffle tickets for a chance to win three barrels of Pinkan Berries. In return, we can't grow our own Pinkan Berry trees and we must say any products that include Pinkan Berries are limited in quantity. We've been waiting for a chance to use Pinkan Berries in the restaurant, bar, and shows ever since we got chosen as a candidate five years ago."

"And now we can! Although…" Daisy pondered. "Will will need help bringing the berries to the ship. I would normally use the ship, but the island is naturally protected by large whirlpools. It'll be best if we use Pokémon to get to the island."

"I can carry one barrel," Will offered.

I added, "And I know Errol can levitate one."

"So that leaves the last one," Yuki mused.

Marybelle smiled. "Why don't you borrow Moonbeam and Starlight? They also know Psychic and can lift a barrel if they combine their attacks. Although..." she warned. "They love to play tricks when I'm not around…"

Yuki volunteered, "Don't worry, Marybelle! Ichigo and I will watch them!"

This made the elderly woman smile. "Thank you, dear."

Daisy grinned. "Now that we've gotten the arrangements done, I'll revise the script to include Pinkan Berries. Summer, I need you to fold more brochures and pamphlets for this new performance. We'll save the ones you've done for another show."

I hopelessly sighed. "All right. We'll still be here…"

 **The next day…**

Edelweiss ferried me, Yuki, and Will towards the meeting spot. Other large Water type Pokémon and small boats surrounded us, most likely headed towards the same location.

Will said, "Hopefully this trip won't take too long. There's going to be a small speech, then we can take the berries and go."

"Sounds straightforward enough," I replied.

Edelweiss and the others slowly stopped in front of three massive whirlpools, which separated us from a large island with tall cliffs and lush trees. As I was wondering how we were going to climb onto the island, ten blue fish Pokémon with yellow markings surfaced on the island side. Each of them had two yellow bulbs on their head.

[Lanturn, the Light Pokémon and the evolved form of Chinchou. The light-emitting ors on its back are very bright. They are formed from a part of its dorsal fin. This Pokémon illuminates the inky darkness of deep seas.]

"Ah…" Will explained, "These are Lanturn trained by the Rangers stationed on the island to protect Pinkan Island."

The Water types let us through the swirling waters by flickering their fins, causing the whirlpools to slow down enough for passing Pokémon and ships to enter. We followed the Water types towards the steep rocks, then watched them dive back into the deep waters.

Will looked around and frowned. "That's strange. A Ranger's supposed to come and greet us. But I don't see anyone."

I suggested, "Should someone check the Ranger station?"

Suddenly, two Pokémon sprung out of Yuki's Pokéballs.

"Try to catch us!" Moonbeam the Clefairy teased as she and Starlight flew upwards towards the top.

Will shouted, "Come back here, you pranksters!" But the Normal types continued their ascent.

"We'll get them, Will!" Yuki determinedly replied.

We sent out Ume and Errol and quickly mounted them. As we soared into the sky and caught up to the mischievous Pokémon, someone spotted us. And he wasn't friendly.

"Intruders!" The man dressed in black yelled. He immediately threw a Pokéball into the air. "Fearow, chase them out!"

The Pokémon growled as he exited the ball and charged at us. Ume and Errol narrowly dodged the Flying type's strong wings and glared at the attacker. Starlight and Moonbeam, noticing the aerial attack, angrily glided towards the man. As we dodged another Wing Attack, the stranger easily batted the Normal types away. Unable to control their flight, the Clefairy and Jigglypuff tumbled into the forest and out of sight.

Yuki gasped. "Oh no! We need to find them!"

I suggested, "Yuki, go ahead. Errol and I can handle the Fearow."

My friend nodded, and Ume dove into the thicket of trees, forcing the guard to give chase.

"Stay off our island!" Fearow cried as he charged at us once more.

"How rude!" Errol scoffed, holding his ground. "Ms. Summer, allow me to show him some manners!"

Agreeing with my British-speaking friend, I commanded, "Errol, Psychic!"

He shot a magenta beam from his eyes so fast, Fearow was hit before he could dive at us. Surprisingly, the attack knocked him out and caused him to fall onto the grass. The coast was clear, for now. Errol scanned the surrounding area; seeing there were no other suspicious people, he landed near the edge of the cliff.

Once I stepped onto the soft grass, my Pokégear rang. Fearing it would bring another dangerous person to my location, we dashed behind a small shrub and I quickly answered.

Summer! Will frantically called. What on earth happened up there? After giving him the situation in a hushed tone, he responded, Sounds like a takeover. This isn't good. We'll alert the authorities right away. In the meantime, make sure you, Yuki, and the Pokémon are safe, okay?

"You got it, Will," I whispered. "Good luck."

You too.

After hanging up, I saw Errol staring at something intently. "What is it, Errol?" I cautiously asked.

He cocked his head to the right. "I am not sure... It appears to be an unusually colored Nidoking. And he appears to be approaching us..."

We snuck around the bush and watched the Poison type eagerly grab round pink berries from a medium sized tree. _So those are Pinkan Berries...they're really pretty..._

Suddenly, a loud crunch to our left startled us. Another man in black, who looked stronger than the first one, confronted the Drill Pokémon with his dark blue Water type that looked like a buffer Poliwhirl.

"You're ours, Nidoking!" he shouted arrogantly. The pink Pokémon angrily roared and charged at the strangers. But the man evilly grinned. "Poliwrath, Water Gun!"

Poliwrath unleashed two streams of waters from his gloved hands, hitting the much heavier Pokémon in the face. The super effective attack pushed Nidoking backward, causing him to fall onto the grass, unable to move.

"Too easy!" the man scoffed as he took out a black Pokéball with a yellow line decoration. "Go, Ultra Ball!"

Before we could do anything, a strong gust of wind blew the Ultra Ball into the poacher's face. For some strange reason, the wind contained silver sparkles. _It's Forrest!_ I thought as we peeked through the bushes.

The man growled, "Grr...a Ranger! Poliwrath, Ice Beam!"

As the Water type formed a beam of light blue energy, Forrest motioned to his large purple moth Pokémon with equally large eyes. "Randolf, use Disable!"

The Pokémon nodded and his eyes glowed dark blue. The same colored energy surrounded the Ice Beam and, to our surprise, froze it in midair. A simple blink of the moth's eyes turned the beam back to the user. Poliwrath was hit in the center of his chest and rubbed the injury. The poacher then tried to send out another Pokémon, but Forrest's Pokémon flew over, spreading yellow spores over the man. He began to freeze up, then he fell over due to the loss of balance.

"Randolf," Forrest told his Pokémon. "Take this poacher back to the boat."

"Right away, Forrest," the moth responded in a high-pitched buzzed voice. Using his psychic powers, the Pokémon carried the intruder and the two flew away.

"I guess it's safe now," I whispered to my Noctowl, who was amazed at the mental capabilities of Forrest's Pokémon.

Forrest heard my voice and cautiously marched over to us. "Wh-Who's there?"

Errol and I slowly rose from the ground. As I awkwardly waved hello, the Ranger worriedly responded, "Summer! What are you doing here?"

"Well, Yuki, Will and I came here to pick up some Pinkan Berries from the island's lottery drawing-"

The teen was shocked. "Wait...you mean Yuki's here too?!"

I was surprised by his reaction. "Yeah... She went off the find Starlight and Moonbeam." Forrest immediately dashed off, forcing us to catch up to him. "W-Wait, Forrest! I'm sure she's fine."

Forrest slowly stopped and lightly touched the brim of his cap. "I know... It's just...I worry about her, that's all."

I softly smiled. "You care about Yuki, huh?"

He sighed and replied, "We were really close back then, and I don't want to lose her like I lost Magma..."

"Then we should go look for her. Flower should be able to help us too."

After I let her out of her Pokéball, Forrest then plucked some juicy berries from a nearby tree. "Here, have your Pokémon eat these. The Pokémon here don't trust Pokémon that aren't pink."

As the Noctowl and Ivysaur happily gorged on the fruit, I asked, "What about us?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, Summer. They recognize Rangers and their Pokémon as friends, and since you're with me, you won't have any trouble."

To my amazement, the two Pokémon slowly turned into a shade of light pink after eating three berries each. Flower then sniffed the air.

"I think I smell Yuki, Summer," Flower revealed. "Follow me."

"Come on, Forrest," I motioned. "Flower found something."

He nodded, and the three of us followed the Grass type into a small clearing. What we saw there shocked us. We quickly ducked behind another bush to contemplate what we saw. _Those crooks! They have crates of Pinkan Berries and cages of pink Pokémon! They looked so sad, and those people don't even care!_

"I knew it was bad, but I didn't expect it to be this extreme," Forrest sadly whispered. He then informed me about his mission. "Headquarters got a distress signal from Pinkan Island from the stationed Rangers. All I know is that they were being ambushed by a group of poachers intent on stealing the Pokémon and fruit."

A commotion in the clearing cut off Forrest's explanation. We peered through the leaves and saw the man who tried to chase us away and another person in black. The latter had an evil goatee, which appeared to me he was the leader. "What do you mean you can't find Carl, Jody?!" he roared.

Jody timidly responded, "I...I don't know, Billy! I tried calling him, but he wouldn't respond."

The leader retorted, "I told you, don't call me 'Billy'! It's 'William'!" He then took a deep breath. "Let's mobilize now. If what you told me earlier is true, we can't leave any evidence to that Ranger, or those girls."

Jody saluted Billy. "Yes, B- I mean, William!"

"Summer," Forrest whispered cautiously. "Find Yuki. I can handle these two."

"Are you sure?" Before I could get a response, the Ranger crept to another bush and began to put his plan into action.

"Hold it right there, crooks!" he shouted as he showed himself to Jody and Billy.

Billy roared, "It's that Ranger! Machamp, get rid of him!" The four-armed Pokémon emerged from his Trainer's Pokéball and lunged at Forrest.

As the teen leaped to his left, a stream of bubbles and a sparkly wind smashed into the Fighting type. This pushed him back towards Billy.

"Yuki!" Forrest shouted as she, a pink Momo, Moonbeam, Starlight, and Randolf emerged from the trees.

Yuki grinned. "I had a feeling I'd find you guys here. I recognized Summer's shoeprints in the dirt. Summer, let's take care of these thugs!"

 _How did she know what my shoe prints look like? I guess that doesn't matter now._ I stood up and nodded firmly. "Errol, Psychic!"

As the Noctowl flew up and launched the magenta blob of energy, Billy laughed. "Machamp, Dynamicpunch!"

Despite taking damage from the super effective attack, the Superpower Pokémon charged his upper right arm with orange energy. Errol tried to dodge, but Machamp punched him into the ground.

As swirls appeared in Errol's eyes, Yuki warned, "Careful, Summer. That Machamp has No Guard, which allows all Pokémon in battle to hit their moves!"

 _I didn't think Yuki could identify it so easily. Has she seen the ability before?_ I immediately returned Errol to give him some rest.

I looked at Flower, who was ready to avenge her injured friend. "Flower, let's take advantage of the accuracy boost and use Sleep Powder!"

The Ivysaur jumped over the bush and spread white spores over the poachers. However, Jody quickly took out a Pokéball and commanded, "Rapidash, Fire Spin!"

A large horned horse with a fiery mane and tail jumped forward from his Pokéball andbreathed out a spiral of flames. The fire incinerated the Sleep Powder and almost caused the nearby Pinkan Berry trees to catch fire.

Forrest warned, "We need to be more careful, girls! Randolf, Disable on Rapidash!"

Billy roared, "Machamp, stop that pest with Rock Slide!"

As Randolf's eyes glowed blue and Machamp leaped into the air to create the rocks, Yuki and I looked at each other and nodded in unison.

"Flower, Razor Leaf!"

"Momo, Bubblebeam! Starlight and Moonbeam, Psychic!"

The first stage Pokémon launched the combined attack at the falling boulders. The power of the sharp leaves, pink psychic blasts, and round bubbles destroyed the Rock Slide, allowing Randolf to land the Psychic type attack on the Fire type. Jody gritted his teeth as his Rapidash flinched from the paralyzing move, knowing his Fire Spin was now unusable.

"We should retreat, William..." Jody woefully suggested.

But his boss refused. "No! Machamp, knock them all out with Dynamicpunch!"

Yuki and Momo clenched their teeth. "I'm tired of you bullies!" she shouted defiantly. She looked at her Pokémon's tail to glow light blue and grinned. "I recognize that move. Momo, Blizzard!"

The Turtle Pokémon deeply inhaled and blew a strong wind of snow at Machamp and Rapidash. Caught off-guard, the Fighting type was frozen in a large block of ice while the Fire type was severely weakened despite the type advantage. The two poachers, knowing defeat was near, tried to make a run for it.

Forrest looked at me and I knew what he wanted to do. "Randolf, Stun Spore!"

"Flower," I added, "Sleep Powder!"

The yellow and white spores covered the men, causing Billy to freeze in an awkward position and Jody to collapse in a deep sleep.

The Ranger softly grinned. "It's over." Randolf carried the remaining crooks and their Pokémon away, most likely to the teen's boat. Forrest then looked at us, his face covered with dirt, exhaustion, and relief. "Thank you, Yuki and Summer. I really appreciate your help in catching these poachers."

Yuki concernedly asked, "Are you okay, Forrest? You look tired."

He laughed, shaking off his friend's worries. "I am now. It's been a busy year for me. But I'm just happy you're safe, Yuki. You do mean a lot to me."

For a moment, Yuki's face flushed red and she chuckled softly. Then she recovered by saying, "You mean a lot to me to, Forrest. You're a great friend. Thank you."

The two friends hugged, and Flower, her pink coloring wearing off, and I grinned.

 **Later that day...**

Will, Yuki, and I sailed away from Pinkan Island with four barrels trailing behind us on a raft.

"I'm glad you girls were able to help Forrest," Will said. "Thank you for saving the island. And we got an extra barrel! That means a feast tonight!"

"Hooray!" I cheered. I looked at Yuki, thinking that she'd be happy too. But to my surprise, she didn't share the same feelings. Only when I smiled at her did she make the same expression. _Yuki...I don't know why you're so upset. But I want to help you, if you let me._

 **Pokémon: Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls (Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower (Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What did you think of the events on Pinkan Island?

What was Yuki upset about?


	10. OI 9

**Summer and Yuki went to an island refuge for pink Pokémon to pick up a special package of Pinkan Berries. However, poachers interfered with the simple task, but with Forrest's help, they were able to stop the poachers. Summer then noticed Yuki seemed to have a special gift, but the latter didn't seem to appreciate it. But a chance phone call with an old friend and a new island causes Yuki to use her gift, or else dire consequences would occur. How will it help them save Summer's friend?**

 **Chapter 8- An Old Friend with a New Discovery**

After our adventures on Pinkan Island, we finally arrived on Kinnow Island for the next three shows. As we prepared for the first show, my Pokégear suddenly rang.

"Hey, Samir!" I cheerfully greeted. "How's it going?"

Great, Summer! I heard you're in the Orange Islands. Want to come visit me? I'm on an archaeological dig close to Kinnow Island.

"That sounds fun. But I need to get permission first. I'll let you know what happens."

Sure, no problem!

We hung up, and I looked around for Daisy. After a few minutes, I finally found her checking on the stage with Yuki.

"Hi, Daisy. I was wondering if I can visit a friend tomorrow on an island not far from here."

She smiled. "Of course, Summer. But I do need Errol, Swirls, Lightning, and Flower for rehearsal."

"That's fine with me. Want to come, Yuki?"

The girl was slightly hesitant. "Are you sure, Summer? I should help Aunt Daisy some more."

Her aunt emphatically sighed. "Come on, Yuki. You'll meet a new friend."

I thought I heard my friend sadly respond, "Yeah...friend…"

"It'll be fun, Yuki," I encouraged. "Samir's a nice guy, and he's really knowledgeable."

She softly smiled. "All right. But only because he said he's smart."

We all laughed, and after I informed my old friend about the visit, I retired to my bed.

 **The next day…**

As Yuki and I sailed on Edelweiss, I couldn't wait to see Samir again.

"So what does Samir do?" Yuki asked.

"He's an intern at the Pewter City Museum in Kanto. He knows a lot about fossils and breeding."

Yuki was amazed. "He sounds like a great person!"

Someone then shouted, "Summer!"

The three of us looked up at the sky. On his Pidgeot, Terry, was his Trainer, Samir.

"I couldn't wait for you to come, so I flew over here." Both Pokémon then headed towards a small island with a large rocky outcrop. "How's your journey going?"

"It's going great! How was your break?"

To my slight confusion, he nervously chuckled. "It was...interesting… I'll tell you later." He then noticed the other person on the Lapras. "You must be Yuki. I'm glad to finally meet you in person."

Yuki grinned. "Me too. Summer told me that you're working on a dig?"

He nodded. "That's right. I'll explain more when we arrive."

After a few minutes, Edelweiss carefully slid herself on the warm sand. Yuki and I climbed down as Samir got off of Terry. After he and Yuki returned the Pokémon, Samir led us down a path to the rock I saw earlier.

Samir continued his explanation. "Professor Ruki, a scientist at the museum, and I have been exploring this island for a week now. We're trying to find traces of a long-lost population of ancient Pokémon."

Yuki inquired, "Is it that Kabuto population? I thought that island disappeared years ago."

The intern grinned. "This is actually another island, one that is said to have Omanyte fossils."

"Speaking of fossils," I remembered. "What happened to that Helix Fossil I gave you?"

"I'm glad you asked, Summer." He took out a Pokéball and pressed the center button. Out came a cute light blue snail with a medium sized light brown nautilus shell.

[Omanyte, the Spiral Pokémon. One of the ancient and long-since-extinct Pokémon that have been regenerated from fossils by humans. If attacked, it withdraws into its hard shell.]

As the adorable Pokémon jumped for joy, Samir explained, "After I revived him at our lab, we've been doing research on his behavior and preferences. For some reason, he only responds to the name, 'Helix'."

I knelt down, piping the ancient Pokémon's curiosity. "Hi, Helix. I'm Summer. I don't know if you remember me, but-"

"I know you!" he excitedly squealed in a high-pitched voice. "You're the one who carried me around when I was still a fossil! I'm so happy I can finally see you with my own eyes!"

Samir chuckled when he saw my eyes widen in disbelief. "Yeah, it startled us too when he told us that he remembered things he shouldn't have. I've been taking care of him, even more so now that I got the translation app."

I stood up and smiled. "I'm glad it's been helping you with your research."

"Sorry to interrupt," Yuki said as she stared into the dense trees. "I thought I saw someone looking at us."

Samir immediately became concerned. "I know what you mean, Yuki. For the duration of our expedition, we felt someone was watching us."

Helix sadly looked at his caregiver. "Is it because of me, Samir?"

The intern picked up the Pokémon and cuddled him. "No, Helix. But maybe Summer and Yuki can help us find whoever's been spying on us."

The Omanyte happily waved his tentacles in the air. "Yay!"

Yuki took out a Pokéball. "It'll be easier if some of our Pokémon can help search for this mystery person. Ichigo, I need your help!"

"You too, Blaze!"

The Minun and Blaziken landed on the sand while Samir sent out his Meganium, Banksia.

As the final evolved starters happily greeted each other, Samir laid out his plan. "Let's do this. We should split into two groups: Blaze and Ichigo with me and Helix and you two with Banksia. That way, it's a mix of knowledge of the area and new sets of eyes."

Yuki complemented, "That's a good strategy, Samir." This made the boy grin widely.

I nodded. "We'll head clockwise, and you four head counterclockwise. If we find anything, we call each other."

Samir put Helix on the ground. "Sounds good. See you soon."

We split up, and Yuki and I followed the Meganium to the western end of the island. We traipsed through the trees and searched for any sign of movement. As Banksia used her antennae to detect any vibrations, I felt it was the perfect opportunity to talk to Yuki about what happened on Pinkan Island.

"Hey, Yuki. I...wanted to know how you were able to know where we were on Pinkan Island."

She was startled by my question. "Um...well...I don't really know how to explain it…" She paused and took a deep breath. "But here goes. I...I have a photographic memory…"

"Really? That's so cool!"

She slowly shook her head. "I don't think so. It causes me a lot of pain, especially since… I'm sorry, Summer. I'm not ready to talk about it."

I nodded understanding her fear. "Okay. When you're ready to talk about it, I'll be waiting."

Sudden movement caused the three of us to become more alert. Yuki's eyes immediately locked onto a tree to our right.

"Who's there?" she asked the tree. "We're not going to hurt you. We just want to know who's been following us."

A Pokémon timidly peeked at us from her hiding spot. It was another Omanyte, but this one had small dark green spots on her shell.

"Y-You're not…?" she meekly wondered.

I calmly replied, "Of course not. We care about all Pokémon."

The female Pokémon was surprised I could understand her, but she took it as a reassuring sign. She then frantically cried, "We need your help! Our clan's being tormented by a male human who's been turning us into fossils!"

Yuki, Banksia, and I instantly became concerned. "That must be the one who's been spying on us, Summer," Banksia said.

I thought about this situation. "Maybe because Samir has Helix. Or even that you guys were excavating near him. Either way, we have to stop him before other Omanyte get hurt."

My Pokégear began to ring and I saw Samir was calling. "What's going on, Samir?"

In a static voice, Samir whispered, We're at the ...opening… Someone's … something … Can you meet us here?

"I can't hear you, Samir. Where are you?"

I hear the sound of footsteps getting louder. Oh no! Quick...hurry…!

The call immediately ended, and the phone emitted several long beeps.

"We have to find Samir," I calmly instructed the group, despite my fear. "I think he's in trouble."

Banksia muttered, "Not again…"

Omanyte wiggled her tentacles. "I think I know where your friend is. Follow me!"

Despite the heavy shell, she scuttled quickly through the forest, and we followed close behind. After ten minutes, we reached the entrance to the rocky outcrop. Outside was Ichigo, covered in scrapes.

"What happened, Ichigo?" Yuki cried out as she picked up her injured Pokémon.

The Minun wearily looked at us. "We were exploring the cave when someone ambushed us. His Pokémon attacked us with orbs of water. As Samir called you, Summer, Blaze and I tried to fight back but we couldn't see our attacker as it hit us. I was almost hit by another orb, but Blaze protected me. Before he passed out, he told me to get help. Samir then battled the Pokémon but I don't know what happened next."

Yuki stroked her hurt Pokémon. "I think you should rest, Ichigo. Thank you for telling us." He nodded as his Trainer returned her.

I was worried about Blaze, but I knew he'd want me to focus on saving them. "So they were ambushed by a Pokémon who could hit without being seen and use Water Pulse," I recalled. I turned to Yuki. "Do you know of a Pokémon that can use those attacks?"

Yuki pondered for a moment. "That could narrow it down to Water and Dark types."

Omanyte argued, "But our eyesight is not good in extremely dark places, unless we're together. And we don't know any Dark type moves."

Taking that into account, Yuki revised her thinking. "Then maybe it could be a Pokémon that can use those types of moves, but also has the ability to either see or sense their surroundings in little light… I know! Summer, can you look up Persian in your Pokédex?"

"Sure." I took it out and searched for the feline in my Pokédex.

[Persian, the Classy Cat Pokémon and the evolved form of Meowth. A Persian's six bold whiskers sense air movements to determine what is in its vicinity. It becomes docile if grabbed by the whiskers.]

"That's it!" She triumphantly cried. "It's got to be a Persian! Its whiskers can sense movement, which means it can attack in low light conditions. And the attacks… They must be Faint Attack and Water Pulse!"

I grinned. "See? Your photographic memory came in handy."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess. Anyway, what's our plan?"

I took out my second Pokéball from my belt. "Similar to what we did last time." I opened it, and Rocky towered over us. Omanyte, frightened by the much taller Pokémon scurried and hid behind me. "Rocky," I asked my Onix. "Can you see inside that cave?"

He peered into the opening and nodded slowly. "Yes, I can. It reminds me of Rock Tunnel. How come, Summer?"

"A Persian attacked Samir and Blaze and is using the darkness to its advantage. Can you help us battle it?"

Hearing his friends were in trouble, Rocky replied, "Of course. I'll lead the way."

"Thank you, Rocky."

The Rock Snake Pokémon slithered into the dark cave. After Yuki took out her flashlight and I put on my helmet, we followed him with our lights on. Despite the beam of our lights, we couldn't see anything past Rocky. The only sounds we heard were our footsteps and water dripping from the long stalactites.

Suddenly, a yowl broke the dull noises. "That must be the Persian," Yuki whispered. We should help Rocky by turning off our lights."

"I see. So Persian won't be able to find us easily. You and Omanyte should sit by the wall and not move. I'll battle with Rocky."

"Okay, Summer. Good luck." Once she and the Pokémon snuck to the right cave wall, we simultaneously turned off our lights.

"Rocky," I commanded. "Find Persian, then use Rock Throw!"

The sounds of claws scratching the dirt meant the Persian leaped towards the Rock type. I heard a rock being thrown, but it didn't sound like it hit its target. Rocky lightly roared in pain as Persian slammed into him.

"Are you okay, Rocky?" I asked. Unfortunately, the Classy Cat Pokémon heard my voice and I heard it run towards me.

"Duck, Summer!" Rocky warned. I immediately followed my Pokémon's instructions and saw a Dragonbreath slam into the Normal type, which was visible in the green flames. Persian angrily growled and, before the brightness from the Dragonbreath disappeared, charged an orb of water in his mouth.

 _I knew if that attack hit Rocky, we wouldn't stand a chance._ "Rocky, throw it back with Iron Tail!"

As I saw Rocky's tail glow silver, the Water Pulse whooshed through the damp air. He swung his enormous tail forward, I heard it make contact with something. Persian yowled in pain, then a loud thud echoed in the cave. Silence filled the cave walls.

"It's okay, Summer," Rocky said. "Persian fainted."

"Thanks, Rocky. Hey, Yuki. You can turn on your flashlight." We illuminated the cave again and saw the Normal type lying on the dirt. As we got closer, I saw a red collar around his neck.

Yuki bent down and examined the accessory. "Hm... there seems to be a name on here. 'If found, please return to Riku Jishan.'"

I immediately became concerned. "Isn't Riku the name of the professor Samir came with?"

Yuki got up and nodded firmly. "Yes. That means Riku's the one who's been involved with the suspicious activities on the island."

Footsteps approached us from the inner part of the cave. "So, you figured it out," a man's voice eerily praised.

We turned around and saw a skinny man with short brown hair, his clothes were reminiscent of a well-traveled explorer. An orange Pokémon with orange pincers and yellow spots on the large mushroom sitting on her back scuttled beside him. I was startled to see her white eyes had no pupils. Even worse, Helix was in her clutches, trying to struggle his way out.

[Parasect, the Mushroom Pokémon and the evolved form of Paras. Parasect are known to infest the roots of large trees en masse and drain nutrients. When an infested tree dies, they move onto another tree all at once.]

"Riku Jishan, I presume?" I asked, trying to hide my anger. Omanyte hid behind us, scared at the familiar human.

He chuckled. "You must be Summer Scorcher. I had the displeasure of hearing about you from Samir. Now, I have to destroy you two so I can continue my reversal revival operation."

"Reversal revival?" Yuki asked nervously.

"Yes. Instead of reviving fossilized Pokémon, I can revert the process with my reversal revival machine to turn them back into fossils and sell them on the black market."

"But that's illegal!" I protested. "And where's Samir and Blaze?!"

The professor shrugged. "I don't care. Besides, I get paid so little in research that I have to rely on my 'second' source of revenue. As for your friend and, I'm guessing your Pokémon, they disappeared before I could do anything about them.

 _That means Samir and Blaze are still somewhere in the cave. But we need to save Helix first!_

"Rocky, use-"

Helix screamed as the Parasect started to absorb some of his life energy through her pincers.

Riku laughed. "I suggest you two don't try any funny business. Otherwise, dear Helix here will suffer before he becomes a fossil again."

We gritted our teeth, and Rocky growled at the evil human. Suddenly, a Flamethrower hit Parasect in the back, causing her to throw the Omanyte into air. Rocky instinctively caught Helix with his mouth, and he gently lowered the ancient Pokémon into my arms.

"Great job, Rocky," I praised. I stroked Helix, and he calmed down, just as Riku angrily looked behind his wounded Pokémon.

Samir and Blaze ran towards us, with the former intensely staring at his expedition partner. Thankfully, it seemed Samir was able to heal my Pokémon. The intern, angry at his superior, was holding a large burlap bag. "So it was you, Riku. I had my suspicions, but I didn't want to believe them... If you give up your scheme, Riku, then maybe the staff will take it easier on you."

Riku scoffed, "I don't need to hear a lecture from an intern. Especially from a so-called 'Guardian'."

As Samir frowned at the insult, Yuki whispered to me, "What's Riku talking about?"

"I'll explain later."

"Give up, Riku!" Samir continued to persuade. "You don't have any Pokémon left."

"Oh, don't I?" The man removed a Pokéball from his belt and tossed it into the air. Out came a brown, spiky-armored Pokémon with fearsome scythes for arms. It was thin, but exuded great strength.

[Kabutops, the Shellfish Pokémon and the evolved form of Kabuto. Kabutops once swam underwater to hunt for prey. It was apparently evolving from being a water dweller to living on land as evident from changes in its gills and legs.]

Samir was appalled to see the ancient Pokémon. "You stole Kabutops?! You know you can't take Pokémon from the museum without permission!"

"Like I said, Samir. I don't care." He pointed at us. "Kabutops, use Slash!"

As the Rock type leaped forward, Helix jumped out of my arms and created a light blue barrier with his tentacles. "You can't hurt my friends!"

Kabutops bounced back and reluctantly growled. _Does he not want to hurt us?_

Riku scowled, "That Omanyte's tougher than I thought. Kabutops, Mega Drain!"

As the Shellfish Pokémon lunged at Helix one more time, I stood in between them. "Kabutops! I know you don't want to do this. Please stop!"

Kabutops stopped and was hesitant to attack. "Don't just stand there!" Riku yelled. "Attack!"

The Rock type was torn between the two opinions, giving Samir time to sneak up behind Riku and steal Kabutops' Pokéball.

"Hey! What are you-?"

"Kabutops!" Samir shouted. "Stop Riku with Metal Sound! Summer, Yuki, cover your ears!"

As we followed the intern's instructions, Kabutops opened his mouth and emitted gray sound waves as the professor. Riku screamed in pain, then he slowly fell to the ground, overcome by the loud noise.

Once the Shellfish Pokémon stopped, we removed our hands from our ears. "Thanks, Kabutops," Samir praised. My friend turned to us. "I guess that means my archaeological expedition's over. Come on, let's get outside and call the police."

 **A few hours later...**

We waved goodbye to the police boat, who came to collect Riku and bring him back to Kanto for punishment. Once the boat disappeared from view, Samir turned to us.

"Thanks for your help, you guys."

We smiled. "I'm glad we could, Samir," I responded. "Are you going back to Kanto?"

The boy held the bag over his left shoulder, the two Omanyte standing beside him. "Yeah. I have to revive these Helix Fossils Riku collected. Plus, Helix and Omanyte need protection from other people who want to use them for their own purposes."

"Why don't you come watch our show tonight?" Yuki offered. "The nearest ferry is on Kinnow Island, so you can leave tomorrow morning."

Samir was excited. "Sure, that'll be great! I always wanted to watch a show on the Eevee Showboat!"

"Great!"

As Yuki let out Edelweiss, Samir's Pokégear rang. When he saw the caller ID, he said, "You guys go first. I need to answer this privately. I'll follow on Terry."

Not thinking much of it, I replied, "Sure. See you in a bit."

Yuki and I boarded the Lapras, and we sailed back to Kinnow Island with Samir joining us after a few minutes.

* * *

Samir answered the call. "Hey, Weldon. What's going on?"

{Shh... his friend whispered. I'm trying to make this call without my agent noticing...}

"You have a Trainer agent? That's cool."

{Ugh...not really. He's been really annoying. And aggressive. Anyway, how's your expedition going?}

"It...just ended."

{Really? I thought it was for a whole month.}

"Things...happened. I'm heading back to Kanto tomorrow. Besides, I ran into Summer today."

A long pause. {How...How's she doing?}

"She's fine. She and her friend actually helped me out with the things...that happened today. Should I tell her you said hi?"

{NO! I mean, no, it's fine. She doesn't want to talk to me anyway... Samir could hear the sound of footsteps coming. It's my agent! I should get going. See you, Samir.}

"You too." After Samir hung up, and they got on Terry, he smiled. His two friends needed a lot of help to repair their relationship.

 **Pokémon: Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls (Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower (Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What did you think of the turn of events with Helix?

Should Weldon make a small appearance in the Orange Islands story?


	11. OI 10

**After their arrival on Kinnow Island, Summer and Yuki traveled to a remote island where Samir was doing an archaeological dig involving a clan of Omanyte. Samir explained to them about a spy on the island, so they helped him find out who it was. When Samir got into trouble, Yuki used her photographic memory to help Summer and Samir stop the intruder. They returned to Kinnow Island, where Samir headed back to Kanto. But when they thought there was going to be a show, a group of people wanted to stop them. However, a familiar man lent them a hand in exchange for a special mission. What does the group represent, and what is this mission?**

 **Chapter 10- A Dance with Potential Disaster**

After saying goodbye to Samir at the Kinnow Island Ferry Terminal, Yuki and I walked back to the Eevee Showboat. Lightning and I marveled at the bustling cobblestone streets along the coastline, but Yuki was strangely quiet.

"Is everything okay, Yuki?" I asked as Ichigo climbed onto her left shoulder. It seemed her silent demeanor was still occurring.

She weakly smiled. "I'm fine, Summer. It's just that...Kinnow Island really changed since I was last here."

"What do you mean?"

She looked at the boutique shops and small cafés that lined the street. "Kinnow Island is a place where the locals gather since the other main islands are so crowded. But, now it's becoming more touristy, and...it kind of makes me upset."

"I understand, Yuki." I looked at my Pokégear. "We should hurry back to the boat. It's almost time to get ready for the next show."

We ran back to the dock where the showboat was tethered. But to our surprise, we saw Daisy being harassed by two men in black suits.

"For the last time, we have a permit to dock at his port!" Daisy argued.

The man on the left, who had black hair, sternly replied, "And for the last time, Orange Sands Hotel needs this dock for their party tonight. We are willing to pay for it."

Daisy angrily crossed her arms as Twinberry glared at them. "I'm sorry. I normally would change docks, but there's no more available space. And we're having a special show for the homeless shelter tonight. We can't change locations on them last minute."

The man on the right, with bleached hair, chuckled. "Who cares about the poor? Mr. Hekele has very important people to impress."

Before Daisy could argue any further, we slowly approached the four. The two men saw us and grinned. "Come on, Miss Daisy. You wouldn't want these kids to become 'involved' because of your stubbornness, do you?"

Daisy hissed, "How dare you threaten them!"

"Yes. Injuring two girls really gets your point across." We looked south and saw a familiar man walk towards us.

"What're you doing here, Detective Beach?" the man on the right tried to play off. "Shouldn't you be solving that case on the western end of the island?"

The detective snickered. "I'm a multi-tasker. Now, please leave the Eevee Showboat alone. A ship's docking location cannot be changed if obtained a month prior to the first date. I thought you knew this, since you booked the other docks here."

The men gritted their teeth then reluctantly left. He looked at the boat owner. "Everything okay, Daisy?"

Daisy exhaled with relief. "Thanks, Yonaha. I don't know what I'd do if you didn't show up."

The detective chuckled, "In other words, it hasn't changed much since elementary school." He then saw me and Yuki and smiled. "Well, if it isn't the girls on the S.S. Orange a while back. Nice to see you two again."

"You know Aunt Daisy, Detective Beach?" Yuki asked.

He nodded. "I knew her and...your mother...while we were younger." He then gave a soft, sad smile but he recovered. "Anyway, this has been the fifth incident involving Orange Sands Hotel and the locals. I think they may be involved with something illegal, but I'm not sure what."

Daisy pointed out, "That's a bit extreme, even for you, Yonaha."

The man sheepishly grinned. "Well, my mentor's thinking has always been a glass completely dry and empty. I guess that rubbed off on me. But still…"

"There has been a string of hotel-related crimes lately," Yuki pondered. "Do you think OIATO will be involved with the hotel? I mean, the group's only interested in hotel-related issues. First, the ship bringing in tourists from Kanto. Then, the kidnapping of the three hotel developer's Pokémon. Plus, they weren't there to stop the poachers when we were on Pinkan Island."

Detective Beach was shocked. "I-I believe so. I didn't even see those connections. That's a pretty impressive observation from a child your age."

Yuki blushed and, to my curiosity, became embarrassed. "But...it is a theory after all…"

Daisy placed a comforting hand on her niece's left shoulder. "Yuki. I know you're still scared about your photographic memory. But you don't have to be with friends and family, okay?"

Detective Beach was more surprised after hearing about Yuki's gift. "Y-You mean...she inherited-" But before he could elaborate, his friend's glare cut him off.

 _Inherited? Does that mean her mom or dad also had a photographic memory?_

Detective Beach cleared his throat. "If what Yuki says is true, then I need to do a stakeout. But they'll know who I am, even though it's a masquerade ball. Plus, I'm too old; it's for Trainers that have only one year of experience."

I suggested, "Why not Yuki and I go? I don't think they'll recognize us."

Concern washed over Daisy's face. "Are you sure, Summer? This could be dangerous."

"I know. But I can't let the hotel or OIATO succeed with their plans. I don't want other people and Pokémon to get hurt from their actions."

"That's truly admirable, Summer," Detective Beach applauded. "What about you, Yuki?"

Without hesitation, she agreed. "I don't want to see others suffer anymore. And I have to learn more about Magma."

Daisy hopelessly sighed. "Once kids make up their minds, there's no stopping them. Luckily, I do have ball gowns and matching masks in the costume rack. Let's see which ones would look best on you."

Flashbacks of the infiltration in Silph Co. entered my mind. _At least it wasn't a super stealthy mission._

* * *

In a small house not far from the Orange Sands Hotel, Magma looked at his black Pokégear, watching the seconds increase on his digital clock. He was wearing a black suit and an orange shirt, clothing he wouldn't wear by choice. He sighed, "I can't wait for this mission to be over…"

From the next room, Terra gleefully ran towards her partner. Despite her high heels, her movement was not impeded. She twirled around in her frilly, orange dress. "What do you think, Magma? Perfect, right?"

"Yeah, if you want everyone to look at you. You do remember why we're at this party, right?"

She laughed. "Of course. We need to steal that document from the owner's office. That's why I'll be the distraction while you do the stealing."

The boy chuckled. "Sounds like a plan."

The girl then frowned. "Though if those two interfere…"

"Relax! What are the odds they'll be at the party? Besides, if they do, I'll take care of it."

She scoffed. "You better. We need that document!" She then looked at her arms. "I need a bracelet. I'll be back!"

She walked back into the room she came from while Magma read an email message he just got.

* * *

"I can't believe we made it just in time!" Yuki exclaimed as we waited in line to enter the hotel. It was a 30-story rectangular building, decorated with white columns and orange paint. Windows covered the outside, and a glass elevator marked the center of the building. A marble fountain and luscious landscaping accentuated the fanciness of the hotel.

"Yeah, because you couldn't decide what to wear," I teased. I wore a pale blue puffy dress with dark blue flowers trailing from the right corner of the hem. The mask was the same color, with a dark blue rose tacked onto the left side. A handbag with the same design as the mask wrapped over my left shoulder, though I kept my Pokégear in the dress' convenient right pocket.

Yuki, on the other hand, wore a red puffy dress with red lace around the skirt. Her mask and bag were also red but were bordered with gold trim. "Anyway, Detective Beach said to watch for any suspicious people trying to get away from the ballroom."

"Okay. I hope there's good food. Observing people does make me hungry."

As we laughed, someone accidentally bumped into me. "I'm sorry," he apologized and walked off. He looked handsome in his suit, but his slicked red hair looked familiar. I couldn't think about it anymore as we went through the check-in booths and into the ballroom.

We gasped at the ornate room. It was tall, with a large gold chandelier adding color to the curved brown ceiling. Tables lined the decorated walls, with food on the right and drinks on the left. In the center were socializing Trainers dressed in dresses and suits of various colors and styles. Yuki and I casually walked towards the food tables and picked up some finger sandwiches and deviled Chansey eggs. Other delicacies such as lettuce cups, mini hot dogs wrapped in puff pastry, and cubes of filet mignon were spread between the three tables. I wanted to eat more, but there were more important things at hand.

As we eavesdropped on people's conversations, Yuki whispered, "So everyone's here because the owner has an important job that requires Trainers with some experience? You'd think Mr. Hekele wanted more experienced Trainers for something this important."

"Yeah, it doesn't make sense. Why don't we split up to cover more ground? I'll look at the drinks section."

"Okay. I'll try socializing to see if I can gather more information."

I nodded and walked around the edge of the ballroom, trying to avoid looking suspicious to the security guards observing us. When I arrived at the drinks table, there were miniature fountains for water, soda, and a pleasantly pink punch. _That punch looks good. I should try some._

I picked up a white paper cup and was about to position it under the flowing liquid when someone warned, "I wouldn't drink that if I were you."

I looked to my right upon hearing that familiar voice and saw the red-haired teenager who bumped into me earlier. "How come? Does it not taste good?"

He answered bluntly, "Too sweet for my taste. Anyway, what's your name?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you could tell me your name first. You remind me of someone my friends know."

He tried to be oblivious, but I could tell we now knew each other's identities. "Oh? What is the person like?"

"I heard in the past, he wanted to become a police officer. But instead, he became a member of a group that's been attacking the hotel industry on the islands."

The teen chuckled. "Well, it seems like this 'friend' make a bad choice in life. But did he really? After all, the majority of the hotels are so large and powerful, the government has trouble regulating them. Maybe this friend wanted to protect those who are hurt by these hotels."

"But by resorting to crimes?" I questioned, my voice trembling in anger. "That undermines your actions, even if they are good."

"It may, but what choice does OIATO have? The hotel industry has too much hold on the government. There's no other way to help the people than to beat them at their own game. Besides, it's better this way...until the time comes."

Before I could continue my questioning, the teen walked towards the ballroom doors.

 _So OIATO is here! I have to let Detective Beach and Yuki know._ I reached into right pocket, but to my horror, my Pokégear was gone. _Where did it go?! Wait a minute, did he…_

I looked around the room to see where Yuki was. Seeing she was distracted by a girl in a frilly orange dress grooving on the dance floor, I had to find him myself. I exited the room and scanned the two wide hallways bordered by large potted trees. I noticed something red sticking out of the pot guarding the east hallway. _It's Magma's mask and my Pokégear! I'd better hold onto them._

Suddenly, two sets of footsteps approached the lobby. I bolted awkwardly behind the pot, grabbed the items, and tried to conceal myself behind it as much as possible. It was pretty difficult trying to hide a poufy skirt.

Two men were discussing something. It sounded like the ones who were threatening Daisy earlier.

"So is everything ready for the announcement?"

The other man chuckled. "Of course. Once he finishes, no Trainer can resist the rewards. Soon, we'll get rid of all those Pokémon he invited for that 'immersive tidal pool experience'."

 _Rewards? Tidal pool experience? What are they talking about?_

There was a radio beep, and one of the men answered. Once he finished, he reported some uninviting news to his partner. "It seems OIATO and the International Police have infiltrated the party."

"That's not good. Let's search everyone in the ballroom before the speech."

I heard their footsteps march to the left, the ballroom doors opening, then the doors closing shut. I came out of my hiding place and whispered to myself, "So they know we're here. I have to be more careful trying to find Magma. Luckily, Daisy didn't need her for tonight's performance." I took out Lightning's Pokéball and quietly let her out. "Lightning, can you smell this and see if you can pick up this scent?"

I showed her Magma's mask, and she sniffed it eagerly. She then looked at both hallways and said, "The smell's coming from the east hallway."

"Great, lead the way!" I followed the Raichu down the red-carpeted hallway. Surprisingly, we didn't run into any security. As we walked near an employees only hallway, a short tanned man wearing an orange Hawaiian shirt exited the corridor. His dark hair was slicked to the left, and his smooth skin indicated he was in his 30s.

"Alola! Ahem...hello there, miss!" he greeted us in a jolly voice. "Are you one of our guests at the masquerade ball?"

"Uh...yes, I am," I nervously answered, a little thrown off by the unusual greeting. "I got a little lost trying to find the restroom. Do you work here?"

"Why yes! I'm Mr. Hekele, the owner of the Orange Sands Hotel."

"Wait, YOU'RE Mr. Hekele?" I responded, stunned by his appearance.

He was confused by my reaction. "Yes...why? Were you expecting to meet someone else?"

"I...I thought you were giving a speech to us at the party."

He raised his left eyebrow. "I know of the ball, but I was never told about giving a speech. I just came back from my monthly visit in the Alola Region. Who told you this?"

"I overheard some of the security guards talking about a man getting ready to talk to us. I assumed it was you, since you booked almost all the temporary docks on Kinnnow Island."

He immediately became angry. "I approved a party and permits for a few docks, but not to this scale!" The owner wiped bead of sweat forming over his forehead. "I must go."

"Please, Mr. Hekele," I pleaded. "Wait!" But he ran back towards to the lobby. Lightning and I followed him, although I was much slower due to my black high heels.

Mr. Hekele tried to pull open the doors, but they wouldn't budge. "They must've locked it!" he angrily surmised.

"Mr. Hekele, I didn't expect you to return this early." We looked at the west hallway and saw the security guards from earlier and a tall man with gelled black hair and wearing a gray suit and red tie leading them.

"Gado, Hogo, Rieki!" the man addressed his unruly employees. "What is the meaning of this? My second-in-command and my top security guards. Authorizing these events beyond what I allowed!"

The leader, Rieki, argued, "You don't deserve to be the owner, Hekele! Promoting ecotourism and friendly relationships with the wild Pokémon outside?! It's a waste of money and effort!"

Mr. Hekele retorted, "It is not! My homeland supported these types of activities. That's what makes their hotels so successful, and I want to bring those experiences here!"

"I don't care about protecting the environment on this island. All I care about is the profits. Gado, Hogo, take care of these two while I see how our guests are doing."

He laughed and entered the ballroom. As the doors closed, the evil security guards sent out their fearsome Pokémon: an Arcanine and a Beedrill.

I was about to issue Lightning a command when Mr. Hekele took out a Pokéball. "Miss, let me handle this. I need to punish my employees myself. Go, Pohaku!"

Out of his Pokéball came a wolf unlike any Pokémon I'd seen. It was light brown and had white tipped paws and snout, a white tail, black-tipped ears. What stood out were his piercing blue eyes and his white and black-accented ruff.

The guards laughed.

"What's that dog going to do? Play fetch with us?" Hogo mocked. "Beedrill, Twineedle!"

"Arcanine!" Gado commanded. "Flame Wheel!"

As the two Pokémon charged at the strange Pokémon, Mr. Hekele smiled. "Don't underestimate a Lycanroc's strength! Pohaku, Accelerock!"

Pohaku dashed at his opponents as rocks formed from his ruff. To everyone's surprise, except for his Trainer, the Lycanroc slammed into both fully evolved Pokémon, with the rocks making direct contact. Arcanine and Beedrill collapsed, unable to move.

"H-He beat is in one move?!" Gado stuttered as they immediately returned their injured Pokémon.

Hogo shouted, "We can't disappoint Rieki! Come on, Gado! They both can't take us on!"

His partner shouted, and they ran at us with their arms outstretched. Mr. Hekele, however, stayed calm. "Pohaku, Scary Face!"

The Wolf Pokémon's eyes darkened as he glared at the security guards. Their aggressive demeanors immediately became submissive as they stopped and slowly backed away from the advancing Lycanroc. Suddenly, Detective Beach and several police officers stormed into the building.

"Gado and Hogo Patororu!" the detective shouted, showing them his badge. "You two and Rieki Don'yoku are under arrest for extortion, kidnapping, and environmental destruction."

Gado protested, "You got nothing on us! What proof do you have, Yonaha?"

The enforcement man chuckled. "I received a document from a reliable source that contains messages between you three conspiring against Mr. Keone Hekele to usurp him and take control of the hotel. We found it in Mr. Rieki Don'yoku's safe, and if you're going to debate it, we do have a warrant."

The two were arrested and suddenly became pale as their leader, also in handcuffs, was led out of the ballroom by two officers. Rieki's eyes disdainfully locked onto the detective's, then he and his cronies were taken away.

Mr. Hekele returned Pohaku and offered Detective Beach his arms. "Aren't you going to arrest me too, Detective Beach?"

The man was confused. "Why, Mr. Hekele? You aren't involved in this scheme."

The owner shamefully replied, "I...I allowed this to happen. I was so focused on improving the hotel that I couldn't see some of my staff were angry at my decisions. I should be punished for this."

"You're not going to be, Mr. Hekele. You are a good man who cares about your guests and Kinnow Island. I hope your ecotourism endeavors go well."

Mr. Hekele bowed. "Thank you, Detective. I will talk to my staff so we are all working together to help this hotel. I know it'll benefit both the tourists and locals."

He then helped his employees with dismissing the Trainers, who were confused by the turn of events. Once of the Trainers exiting was Yuki.

I called her name and she came over. "Yuki, are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. I was a little scared when the guards that harassed Aunt Daisy came in to inspect something, but that girl's dancing distracted them. Then a man came in, saying he was the hotel owner. But before he started talking, police officers ran in and arrested him."

"That's not Mr. Hekele. He was a man who only cared about money," I explained.

"Hmm..." Detective Beach pondered. "The girl you mentioned, Yuki. That must've been Terra of OIATO. She was a pretty gifted dancer when she was in elementary school."

Yuki was disappointed. "Th-That means...Magma was here. I missed him again..."

I wanted to tell her about my experience with Magma, but it could wait. We had a long night.

 **Pokémon: Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls (Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower (Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What did you think about the plot twist?

Did you like the Alola references?

Who was Detective Beach's reliable source?


	12. OI 11

**During their stay on Kinnow Island, the Eevee Showboat was threatened by a group of men from the Orange Sands Hotel, the largest hotel on the island. When Detective Beach came to help, he asked Summer and Yuki to infiltrate a masquerade ball at the hotel to find proof of the owner's suspicious activities. Despite OIATO's interference, the true culprit was caught, and the hotel's reputation was saved. On their way to the next island, Summer pondered about this journey. A multi battle with Yuki gives her new insight. What will happen during this battle?**

 **Chapter 11- A Change in Battle Styles**

 _Finally, a break,_ I thought as we sailed to Navel Island. The last two shows on Kinnow Island were a hit, especially with the Pinkan Berries being an integral part in the special dishes and the _Detective Moonflower_ performances. This trip, we were ferrying a group of students from the Orange Islands Performing Arts School to the next island. Daisy showed them behind the scenes of the shows earlier, and they will be treated to a special three-course menu served by Will. Then Yuki and I were going to battle against two students as part of a friendly competition.

I thought I would be happy with tonight's events, but some things were still on my mind. _Who gave Detective Beach that document about the Orange Sands Hotel's corrupt workers? I doubt it was OIATO, since they were after something about Mr. Hekele. And what Magma said...about the hotel industry being powerful...I still don't agree with that..._

"There you are, Summer." I turned to my right and saw Blaze approaching me. "It's time for dinner."

"Thanks, Blaze. I didn't notice the time."

My starter became serious as he noticed my nervous smile. "Are you okay, Summer? You've been quiet lately."

Knowing I could trust my first Pokémon, I sighed. "I've been thinking about OIATO… I just don't get it! Why take such extreme measures to get what you want?! It makes no sense at all and it makes things worse."

Blaze leaned forward on the rail next to me. "I agree. But maybe it's because of how things are progressing on the islands. If we run into each other again, we should talk to them more."

I hesitantly replied, "But...I haven't told Yuki that I ran into Magma. And I argued with him. She might be angry if I told her I found him."

"Tell me what, Summer?" I was startled by my friend's voice that my arms almost slipped off of the railing. "Are you okay? You seem...frazzled..."

I nervously looked at her, unsure of what to say. Blaze nudged my left arm, and I confessed, "I...I talked to Magma at the masquerade ball..."

"Oh...what did he say?"

"Well...he wanted to keep following OIATO's mission."

To my surprise, she giggled. "I'm not surprised. He is pretty stubborn, but it's because he cares about others." She then said, "Thanks for telling me this, Summer. Now I know he hasn't really changed. Personality-wise, I mean. But I'll talk to him once we run into OIATO again."

I felt a lot better after I told her. "Thanks, Yuki. Now, let's have dinner. I can't wait to see what Will cooked today!"

We laughed and headed down to the second floor for dinner.

 **A few hours later...**

It was time for the multi battle. Yuki and I were battling the top pair of Trainers of the group: Miguel and his acting partner Jose. Daisy was the referee while everyone else sat on the bow, eager to see the action. To make the boat steady for the battle, Daisy weighed anchor earlier.

As we were deciding which Pokémon to use, Yuki nervously whispered, "Which Pokémon should I use, Summer? I don't have much experience with multi battles."

"Whoever makes you feel comfortable, Yuki. That's one of the most important things to consider with battling. I'm going with Blaze."

She smiled as she took out a Pokéball. "Then I'm going with Momo."

"Sounds good to me!" We broke from our huddle and sent out our Pokémon. Both of them were eager for some excitement.

The two boys looked at our Pokémon and grinned. "I hope you don't disappoint us, Summer!" Miguel said as he brushed his hands through his spiky brown hair. "We've heard a lot about you from our friend, Carlos!"

"And we've been watching your Contests, Yuki!" Jose added as he adjusted his black rimmed glasses. "We've got a few combinations that'll rival yours."

"Go, Grizzle!" Miguel shouted, throwing his Pokéball.

Jose added, "Let's show them, Petal!"

A large brown bear Pokémon with shaggy fur, long claws, and a yellow ring on his chest roared while a Vileplume gracefully twirled around.

[Ursaring, the Hibernator Pokémon and the evolved form of Teddiursa. In forests, it is said that there are many streams and towering trees where an Ursaring gathers food. It walks through its forest collecting food every day.]

 _Thanks for the help, Pokédex..._

"Are both teams ready?" Daisy asked as she stood in the center sidelines. All four of us nodded. "After the coin toss earlier, Miguel has the first move, with Summer going second. The battle ends when both Pokémon on one team are unable to battle. Now, battle begin!"

"Grizzle, Bulk Up!" Miguel commanded. The Ursaring flex his arms and a red light temporarily surrounded him.

"Careful, Summer," Yuki warned. "Bulk Up increases the user's Attack and Defense."

"Got it. Blaze, use Flamethrower on Petal!"

As Blaze unleashed a stream of fire at the Grass type, Jose smirked. "I had a feeling you would target the type advantage, Summer. Petal, intercept the flames with Toxic!"

The Vileplume mimicked her Trainer's expression and hurled the purple liquid from her head. The two attacks collided and caused a dark cloud that covered the deck.

As we coughed, Yuki stuttered, "M-Momo...Rapid Sp-Spin!"

We heard the Wartortle's shell whirl around, and in a matter of seconds, the smoke dissipated.

Miguel complemented, "Nice defense, Yuki. Bet you can't handle this combination!" He trustingly looked at his partner.

Jose adjusted his glasses once more, this time, a little more smugly. "Petal, use Toxic on Grizzle!"

Everyone except for the duo and their classmates were shocked as Grizzle grunted in pain as the Poison type move made contact and sickened him. Suddenly, the Normal type turned red and angrily roared. The poisoning seemed to give him more power.

"Oh no, I forgot!" Yuki worriedly exclaimed. "Ursaring has the Ability Guts! Now it'll be stronger!"

"That's right, Yuki!" Miguel affirmed with a wide grin. "Even more so with this move. Grizzle, Facade on Momo!"

The Pokémon evilly chuckled as the red glow changed orange. He then charged at the stunned Wartortle.

"Blaze, grab Momo and jump!" I frantically shouted.

The Blaze Pokémon tried to run towards his partner, but Jose had other plans. After snickering, he commanded, "Petal, Stun Spore the field!"

The Pokémon released the yellow spores from her head, making it look like yellow snow. Blaze and Momo winced in pain as the powder touched them, and sparks began to emit from their bodies. Grizzle, unaffected due to his poisoned condition, took advantage of their opponent's momentary pause and slammed into the two shoulders first. The Fire and Water types groaned in pain and fell backwards. Grizzle growled weakly as he lost some health from the Toxic.

"Are you okay?" we asked in unison. The two weakened Pokémon slowly up and nodded, despite the paralysis still in effect. _I haven't felt this pressured in a long time. I don't know if any of my strategies would work in this situation._

Yuki's eyes became fearful. "I don't know if we can win, Summer… Even in a regular battle, I'm still terrible at it."

I intently looked at my friend and remembered one of the main rules of Pokémon battling. "Look, Yuki. It's not over yet. Anything can happen during a battle, including a come-from-behind victory. I don't have any idea what to do. Do you?"

Yuki placed her index finger and thumb underneath her chin. "I do know of one strategy. I saw another Coordinator use a Fire and Water combination before. Why don't we try something similar?"

I smiled. "Sounds good to me. But we have the paralysis to deal with too."

"I have an idea on how to get rid of it!" Yuki enthusiastically inputted. "But it's a little risky. Do you trust me?"

"Of course! I'll follow your lead, Yuki."

"Okay!" She then looked at her Water Pokémon. "Momo, spray Water Gun into the air!"

Although confused by his Trainer's commands, Momo tilted his head upwards and squirted the stream of water like a geyser. Once it reached its peak, drops began to fall from it, making an artificial rain. Blaze winced in pain from the super effective attack, but to my surprise, the water washed off the Stun Spore from his body. He and Momo grinned as their paralysis disappeared.

"That was...impressive…" Jose said with awe. "To know Water Gun can be used like that. I should make note of that."

 _Me too..._

"Now this battle's getting interesting!" Miguel shouted enthusiastically. "Grizzle, Fire Punch!"

I raised my right fist. "Blaze, counter with your Fire Punch!"

As the two Pokémon rushed towards each other, Jose shouted, "Petal, use Petal Dance!" The Vileplume twirled around while her arms swayed back and forth.

"I don't think so!" Yuki responded, regaining her confidence. "Blizzard!"

Momo's tail glowed light blue, and he exhaled the freezing snowy wind. Petal was forced to stop her attack to protect herself from the damaging cold. Meanwhile, Grizzle and Blaze threw their fiery right fists at each other. The Fire type was unharmed by the Blizzard, but the Normal type winced in pain as the snow pelted at him. This allowed Blaze to land the attack first, sending Grizzle's back onto the deck. As the Ursaring slowly stood up, he grunted in pain as the poisoning took a greater effect.

Jose weakly smiled. "They're stronger than I thought…"

Despite the mounting odds, Miguel encouraged his partner. "Come on, Jose! This battle's not done yet. Grizzle, Facade at full power!"

"Petal, use Return!"

The two Pokémon charged at Blaze and Momo, who were tiring out as well.

"Summer, send Grizzle into the air!" Yuki advised. "I'll do the same for Petal."

I nodded. "Blaze, dodge and Sky Uppercut!"

"Momo, Rapid Spin!"

Blaze and I focused our energy together, and I guided him by dodging to the left. Blaze smiled, allowing him the space to land the super effective attack on Grizzle's chin. At the same time, Petal dashed towards the Wartortle, and Momo ducked into his shell and spun around. The two collided, but the Vileplume couldn't stop the spinning shell and started to slide back. Momo then head butted Petal into the air as Grizzle was thrown upwards.

Yuki shouted, "Now, tell Blaze to jump up and use Flamethrower!"

"You heard Yuki, Blaze!" He nodded, leaped over the two Pokémon, and unleashed the hot fire.

"Momo, stand underneath them and use Water Gun!"

The Water type ran to the spot and sprayed water upwards. Not only did the two attacks hit Grizzle and Petal, the fire and water combination created electrical sparks that increased the power. Small explosions of yellow and orange ended the attack, and Grizzle and Petal fell onto to the deck, unable to move.

Daisy waved her hands. "And that's it! Grizzle and Petal are unable to continue, therefore, the winners are Blaze and Momo and their Trainers, Summer and Yuki!"

Everyone excitedly clapped, yet I was still in shock at what happened.

 _Wow! That looks so powerful and beautiful at the same time! I wish I could come up with moves like that!_

"We did it, Summer!" Yuki cheered.

I forced a smile. "Yeah! It was really close."

Miguel, Jose and their Pokémon walked towards us.

"Congratulations, Summer and Yuki," Miguel praised, offering his right hand.

Jose added as he followed his friend's action. "Yeah! We still have a lot to learn."

Yuki giggled. "So do we!"

I nodded. "Your Pokémon were raised well. I hope we can battle again!"

We shook hands with each other and our Pokémon did the same. The spectators clapped in respect to our sportsmanship.

After we returned our Pokémon, Will got up and announced, "Now that the battle's over, we'll have hot chocolate ready in half an hour. In the meantime, feel free to explore the first and second floors of the boat. I will make the call for drinks later."

The crew went downstairs to help Will while the students dispersed in small groups. Soon, it was just me and Yuki.

"Whew!" Yuki gasped as she sat on the wooden floor. "I didn't think that combination was going to work."

I laughed and joined her on the ground. "It was so amazing! I wish I could battle like that."

Yuki tilted her head. "What do you mean, Summer?"

I looked at the stars starting to appear in the darkening sky. "I've been having some inconsistencies about my battling style. I want to incorporate moves that use my Pokémon's strengths, but I've seen other Trainers win just through their Pokémon's power and moves alone. Like with Miguel and Jose earlier. Miguel used the Toxic to activate Grizzle's Guts Ability, then powered up his attack with Bulk Up and Facade. I don't know if I can come up with complex strategies like that."

Yuki smiled. "I know how you feel, Summer. I always have trouble thinking of new combinations for appeals and Contest battles. Even with my photographic memory, things don't always go the way I pictured." She sighed, then continued, "I always wondered how a Trainer battles. They're so in tune with their Pokémon's abilities, like with you and Blaze. I'm too methodical for that sort of thing."

Suddenly, an idea popped into my head. "Hey, Yuki. Why don't we help each other with our battling? You help me come up with strategies, and I'll help you with bonding during battles."

Yuki grinned. "Yeah, I'd like that. I think it'll help both of our endeavors."

{It is now time for hot chocolate} Will announced on the PA. {Please come to the restaurant if you want any.}

She immediately stood up. "Let's talk about it tomorrow. Will makes the best hot chocolate, with homemade mini marshmallows, MooMoo Milk, and melted chocolate."

My stomach rumbled. "Sounds delicious! Let's go!"

We ran downstairs, got our special drinks, and settled down with the students and crew. After long, fun discussions, we went to our cabins for a good night's sleep.

 **Pokémon: Blaze** **(Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls** **(Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning** **(Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower** **(Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What did you think of the battle?

What do you think of Summer and Yuki helping each other?


	13. OI 12

**Summer finally got a break from danger during her journey as she helped the Eevee Showboat host a group of performing art students. She and Yuki battled against two of the students, and despite a tough battle, the girls defeated them by using a Contest combination. Afterwards, they decided to help each other with their battling strategies. Upon arriving on the next island, Summer and Yuki leave the boat for the former's Gym challenge. There, Summer encounters an experience she never had before, which puts her challenge in jeopardy. What is it and will she be able to defeat the Gym Leader's unique conditions?**

 **Chapter 12- The Race to Navel Mountain**

After we arrived on Navel Island, we had three performances of _Trial by Triage_. Since the episodes differed based on Cactus, Redwood, and Primrose's roles, many people came to watch all three programs. Once the last show ended and all the visitors left, Daisy gathered us onto the stage.

"Great show, everyone!" she praised. After a round of clapping, she continued, "Now it's time to prepare for this year's Showboat Festival!"

Yuki beamed. "I hope you guys will win this year."

Will was pumped up. "We'll definitely win this time!"

Marybelle softly smiled. "As long as we beat that insufferable Dahlia. That woman is a disgrace to the showboat profession."

Daisy explained to me, "The Showboat Festival is a week-long event on Moro Island. The top ranked showboats have to create an original script based on the annual theme, build the set and rehearse in three days, then perform during the weekend. The winners are announced the next day."

I exclaimed, "That sounds so cool! What's the theme this year?"

She smiled. "It's 'unity'. The Showboat Commission wants to give people a positive message due to the unrest caused by OIATO."

"I like that theme." Then I remembered something. "Oh, there's a Gym here! Do we have time to stay for another day?"

Daisy shook her head. "Unfortunately, we need to leave tomorrow in order to make it to Moro Island on time. But I'll tell you what. If you let me borrow Errol and Rocky, I'll let you borrow Edelweiss so you can join us on Moro Island. She knows how to get there. You can join her too, Yuki. The Gym is located in a climate that reminds you of home."

Yuki's eyes sparkled. "Really? Thanks, Aunt Daisy."

After Daisy and I exchanged the Pokéballs, we finished cleaning the show areas and went to bed.

 **The next morning...**

"All right, girls! We'll see you in a few days," Daisy happily shouted as she and the crew waved us goodbye from the Eevee Showboat.

"Bye, Aunt Daisy!" Yuki replied as we waved back. Then they went back into the boat.

We walked with Lightning and Ichigo through the bustling streets, where to my surprise, most shops were selling specialized sports equipment. In the middle of the island was a tall mountain that had a snowcap despite the hot weather.

Yuki explained, "Navel Island's known for its outdoor sports like windsurfing and rock climbing. Navel Mountain's the tallest peak in the archipelago, and it's one of the few places that has snow year-round."

"That's so cool!" I exclaimed as a group of rollerbladers whizzed past us. "It's nice Daisy's letting us stay here for a while."

Yuki giggled. "Of course! I asked her so we'll have time to train together."

"Sounds good to me!"

We then arrived at the Pokémon Center. After we booked a room, I asked the nurse about the Gym challenge.

The nurse, who had sandy blonde hair and tanned skin, replied, "It's a three-part challenge on Navel Mountain. You need to complete a test first before you can participate. It's a little extreme, but you should be able to handle it. I recommend changing your clothes since it's still cold at the peak."

"Thanks, Nurse Verbena. Let's go change, Yuki."

After she nodded, she went into the bedroom while I went to the bathroom. I changed into blue sweatpants and a light blue long sleeved shirt and replaced my shoes with thick socks and my trusty tennis shoes. I also brought a red knit sweater and a brown jacket just in case.

"Are you ready, Yuki?" I asked as I stepped into the hallway. To my confusion, she was wearing a light green long sleeved dress and her low heels. "Won't you be cold?"

She shook her head. "I'm used to cold weather. Plus, Aunt Daisy said spectators go up in a gondola and watch from there. Though you look really warm, and you're bringing more clothes."

"I'm not used to the cold…" I awkwardly replied.

"I'm just teasing, Summer. Let's head out before it gets too late."

As we walked into the lobby, we saw a tall man with shaggy auburn hair at the reception desk. He was wearing a blue-collared shirt covered by a white sweater vest, khaki pants, and a large brown backpack. It looked like he was an experienced hiker.

"Thanks, Nurse Verbena," he said in a masculine voice. He then noticed us approaching. His black eyes met our gaze and he smiled. "Hello. I haven't seen you two before. Are you visiting?"

We nodded. "Yeah, I'm here to challenge the Navel Island Gym."

A glint flashed in the stranger's eyes as he noticed my warm clothes. "Really? The Navel Island Gym has the toughest challenge out of the four."

"Oh, she'll be fine," Nurse Verbena politely argued. "I know Summer can do it."

He laughed and replied, "All right. My name's Danny, by the way. I'm visiting from Trovita Island, and I'm heading over to Navel Mountain for some rock climbing. Why don't we scale the mountain together?"

I was a little suspicious about his offer, but I said, "I guess that'll be okay. I'm Summer, and this is my friend, Yuki. This is Lightning, my Raichu, and Ichigo, her Minun."

"Nice to meet you all. Now, let's head over."

Yuki, our Pokémon, and I followed Danny out of the building, down a rural road, and to the base of the granite mountain. There, I saw a wooden sign with two pieces of paper tacked onto it.

We went over to read them while Danny stayed back. The left paper read,

 _Challengers to the Navel Island Gym must first climb Navel Mountain in order to gain the Gym Leader's approval. There are three stopping points on Navel Mountain. It'll start to snow around the first point, then the winds will pick up around the second. After the third point, it should be fair weather. Visitors watching the challenge may board the free cable car to the top. I wish you luck!_ There seemed to be a signature at the end, but the writing was smudged.

The next paper read,

 _Rules for Climbing the Mountain._

 _1\. Trainers must be accompanied by a guide experienced with Navel Mountain._

 _2\. Trainers must climb the mountain with one Pokémon. Climbing gear is provided by the guide at no charge._

 _3\. Trainers cannot use another Pokémon besides the one chosen. Use of an additional Pokémon will result in automatic disqualification._

"That seems reasonable," I surmised as I took my backpack.

Lightning was a little worried. "Are you going up with Blaze, Summer?"

"Of course. He is the only one trained in rock climbing." I turned to Yuki. "Can you watch Lightning for me?"

"Sure, Summer. Good luck." She guided the two Electric types to a red cable car parked several hundred feet away. Once they boarded, the vehicle carried them along thick wires supported by wide steel beams.

"Now then," Danny said as he unpacked his climbing gear. "Do you need a lesson about rock climbing? My Geodude, Boulder, and I can teach you."

"Actually, I took a beginner's course back in Kanto."

He was curious about my statement, but he stated, "That's a good skill to learn. Let me know when you're ready, then we'll head up together."

I took out the rope and grappling hook, helmet, and pickaxe from my rock climbing kit and placed them on the ground. Then, I let out Blaze, who stared at the colossal mountain.

"Are you sure about going up there?" Blaze asked.

I tossed him the hook, which he easily caught. "Yeah. I trust you to guide me, Blaze. Let's do it."

He smiled and nodded. As he looked for a place to throw the hook, I saw Danny smiling. Boulder was scanning the mountain for a place to anchor.

"You have a strong bond with your Blaziken. I admire Trainers like that."

When Blaze passed me the anchored rope, we tied it around our waists. After Danny and Boulder did the same, with the Rock type wrapping it around his arms, we scaled Navel Mountain.

 **Thirty minutes later...**

 _This mountain's harder than Rock Tunnel…_ I tiredly thought after reaching the crag where our hook was. I looked up and saw something white falling from the sky. It was cold, yet soft.

"It's beautiful…" Blaze murmured. We watched in amazement at the first snow we've ever seen.

I suddenly shivered, due to my lack of experience in cold weather. My Pokémon was worried as I put on my sweater and jacket.

"Are you okay, Summer?"

"I-I-I'm f-f-fine…" I stuttered through my chattering teeth.

"Come on, Summer!" Danny called from above. To my surprise, he wasn't wearing a jacket.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked as Blaze aimed for the next resting point.

He laughed. "I'm used to this weather from climbing up so often. I thought you're used to snow."

I frowned but didn't respond. _For someone not from Navel Island, he shouldn't be this resilient to cold temperatures..._ Once Blaze tapped me on the shoulder, signaling he was ready, we continued to follow Danny and Boulder.

As we continued the ascent, the winds became more forceful. I gritted my teeth as my hands became numb from the freezing wind. The sudden change in temperature made me lightheaded, and the thinning air also made it hard to breathe. The four of us then rested at the second resting point.

Danny saw my condition and became worried. "Summer, do you want to turn back? You shouldn't challenge the Gym Leader if you're not at full health."

I looked at Danny, forcing a small smile. "I-I can k-keep going... I j-just need t-to warm up a-a bit..." Blaze sat next to me, and I felt his warmth transferring into my body.

Danny then reached into his backpack and took out an orange snow hat and black fingerless gloves. "If you want to keep going, these should keep you warm. Body heat is lost through the head, hands, and feet. Take it as a gift."

"Th-Thanks, Danny..." Shivering, I slowly put on the gloves and Blaze carefully placed the hat over my hair. I grinned as my body slowly returned to normal. After stretching for a few minutes, we continued climbing up the mountain.

 **An hour later...**

"We made it!" I gasped as we made it over the last crag. Blaze helped me up while Danny and Boulder hoisted themselves up to the flat surface of the mountain. It stopped snowing, but it was still cold.

"Summer!" Yuki cried as she, Ichigo, and Lightning ran over. "Are you okay?"

I got up and replied, "I am, thanks to Danny. But I could really go for a hot chocolate."

The man laughed. "Well, you and Blaze do deserve a break after scaling Navel Mountain. You two did really well, and you have great perseverance, Summer. Let's head over to that cabin."

He pointed to a sturdy wooden cabin at the eastern side, and we walked inside. Despite not having a heating source on, it was warm, mostly from the sun streaming through the windows. There was a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom, and a small bedroom. But, no Gym Leader. As Danny and Boulder went into the clean kitchen to prepare the hot drink, Yuki and I sat at a square table in the living room. Blaze, Lightning, and Ichigo sat on a blue couch positioned next to the table.

"Hey, Yuki," I whispered after looking at pictures of a young man and a group of Pokémon sitting in a long, flat sled slide down a mountain covered in snow. "Do you know where the Gym Leader is? I don't see him anywhere."

Yuki giggled. "He's here. You already met him."

I was confused. "I did?" Then, I remembered something.

"You seem lost in thought, Summer," Danny analyzed as he brought us a tray with seven white mugs. After he placed it on the table, we took our cups and he gave the other ones to the Pokémon.

Taking my first sip of the steaming chocolately liquid, I cautiously asked, "Danny...are you the Navel Island Gym Leader?"

"What makes you say that, Summer?" he innocently responded.

"Well. You seem interested in me when I said I was taking the Gym challenge."

"I'm always curious about Trainers challenging the Gym. That's the main reason why they come to the island."

"That's true. But then, you're used to snow and you know about the cabin. You said this was your first time visiting Navel Mountain."

He chuckled, then smiled. "You really are an observant person, Summer. You're correct. I'm the Navel Island Gym Leader, Danny."

Yuki nodded her head. "It's great to finally meet you, Danny. Aunt Daisy told me you helped her with the Gym challenges when she was younger."

"She did, did she?" He closed his eyes as he sat back into his chair. "It's been so long ago. I was her guide up the mountain when my father was in charge of the Gym. Anyway, you passed the test, so I accept your challenge, Summer."

"Thanks, Danny," I happily acknowledged after taking another long gulp of hot chocolate. "What's the challenge? I heard there are three parts to it."

"It's a race down Navel Mountain." The cabin then slightly shook, startling me. Danny chuckled and said, "Those are the geysers outside. They erupt infrequently on Navel Mountain. That's where the first part of the challenge will take place. It'll be a race to form a column of ice from the erupting water. Then, we'll sculpt the ice to form toboggans using our Pokémon's skills. Lastly, we'll race down the mountain with our toboggans to Sailor's Beach, located west of here. This is a best two out of three competition, so don't feel pressured to win all three."

I made a determined grin. "Sounds good to me." We finished our drinks and headed back to the snowy landscape. Danny guided us to the northern part of the mountain, where two craters emitted gushes of clear water. It looked like the highest point was about twelve feet.

"Go, Mazurka!" Danny shouted as he threw a Pokéball into the air. A Nidoqueen slammed onto the ground and looked at her Trainer intently. "So, Summer, which Pokémon will you use to freeze the geyser?"

"Go Swirls!"

The Poliwhirl looked at the light blue eruption after she was released. "Let's get this wave to chill out."

I nodded and looked at the Gym Leader. "We're ready, Danny."

"All right, on your mark, get set, go!"

I pointed at the geyser. "Swirls, Ice Punch!"

Danny made the same motion and commanded, "Mazurka, Ice Beam!"

The Ice type moves made contact with the rushing water and it began to freeze. As the two Pokémon moved their attacks upwards, Swirls was having trouble maintaining constant freezing since she was forced to jump continuously. Mazurka easily finished freezing the geyser while Swirls was only halfway done.

Danny grinned. "Looks like I win this round. Mazurka, help finish freezing Summer's geyser."

The Nidoqueen nodded, and as she froze the water, Swirls was exhausted from the additional strain. "Sorry for putting so much pressure on you, Swirls," I apologized.

She shook her head. "It's cool, Dudette. At least it wasn't a gnarly wipeout."

 _Now I have to win the next two events... No pressure..._

"Now, then," Danny said as Mazurka broke off the long columns of ice and placed them next to us. "It's time to sculpt the ice. We'll use three Pokémon each, and the first to finish wins. Shinken, Suji, I need your help."

A Scyther and a Machoke appeared and they stretched their bodies to prepare for the challenge.

"Why don't you sit this one out, Swirls?" After she nodded and walked over to Yuki, I waved Lightning and Blaze over, and they came running. "Come on out, Flower!" The Grass type shivered from the cold, but she eventually adjusted to the temperature change.

Danny saw we were ready and shouted, "On your mark, get set, go!"

Danny's team immediately began working on the frozen water. However, we didn't know where to start.

"What does a toboggan look like?" Flower asked. The other two Pokémon shrugged.

Knowing we would lose if we didn't know how to build, I remembered something I saw in the cabin. "I think I know! It's rounded at the front and square in the back. But they're no sides to allow people to sit on it."

Blaze glanced at our opponents, who were getting close to finishing the vehicle. "I'm on it. Stand back!"

We followed his warning, and he inhaled deeply. After a few seconds, he unleashed a more powerful Flamethrower that not only carved the ice perfectly, it also made it wide enough to fit four individuals.

Danny was stunned, but he admitted, "Well...you beat us, Summer. Nice job. Now, the real battle begins. Go ahead and decide which Pokémon you want for the race. Let me know when you're done."

I grinned, but my smile slightly vanished when I saw Blaze breathing heavily.

Lightning became scared, "What's wrong, Blaze?"

"I think breathed in a little too much cold air when I did that Flamethrower…"

I patted his arm. "Take a rest, Blaze. You've done a lot today."

He sadly nodded but cheered up when he saw Lightning, Swirls, and Flower were ready to take over. He gave them a thumbs up before returning to his Pokéball.

"Okay," I told my team. "We need to figure out the seating order. I know I should go first, then Lightning, since we are the heaviest. Who wants to steer?"

"Why don't I steer?" Flower offered. "My vines have a better reach than Swirls' Water Gun."

Swirls beamed. "I'm cool with that."

"All right then, let's go to our seats."

Once we sat in our discussed order, I looked at Danny, who had Boulder, a large upside Pokéball with a large grin, and Shinken sitting behind him.

[Electrode, the Ball Pokémon and the evolved form of Voltorb. They appear in great numbers at electric power plants. Because the feed on electricity, they cause massive and chaotic blackouts in nearby cities.]

"Now then," Danny excitedly said. "Let's begin the race. Yuki, you can head down after we start."

She nodded. "Okay. Good luck, Summer!"

"On your mark, get set, GO!"

Shinken and Flower launched the toboggans with a big swipe into the snow. Our teams sped down the mountain, which was not as steep as the southern side. This allowed trees to grow on the rocky landscape. I guided Flower by shouting where to move as Swirls and Lightning kept the vehicle steady.

I looked ahead of us. "Danny's ahead!" I informed my teammates. "What should we do?"

Swirls and Flower looked at each other. "I got this, Dudette!" The Poliwhirl placed her arms backwards and sprayed water behind us. This greatly boosted our speed.

"Great, Swirls! Lightning and I will handle the balancing."

"You got it, Summer!" We bent forward to help increase our speed while maintaining our flat position.

Soon, the trees cleared and we saw the snow line of the mountain. The trail became rocky, making our toboggan harder to control. I saw Danny handled the change in terrain by crouching down and allowling Shinken to steer by cutting into the rocks.

"Lightning!" I shouted, "Use Iron Tail to control our toboggan!"

Swirls and Flower stopped powering the vehicle, giving the Raichu enough time to steer our slowly melting toboggan with her silvery tail. Eventually, Danny and I were neck and neck.

The Gym Leader smirked. "You're a good racer, Summer. But let's make this interesting. Suto, Explosion!"

I was shocked to see the Electrode bounce off his Trainer's toboggan and shake violently. "Flower!" I desperately commanded, "Grab Suto with Vine Whip!"

As she turned around and aimed her vines at the glowing ball, Danny's team used the opportunity to dash towards the sand coming into view.

 _It's crazy, but I only have one shot!_ "Swirls, Lightning, prepare to put everything you got into Water Gun and Thunderbolt!"

After the two nodded, Flower grabbed Suto. I looked back and saw the orange glow become brighter. "Flower, throw Suto back!"

She tossed the Electric type with such tremendous effort, it exploded the moment it landed on the surface. A loud rumbling echoed behind us; it was an avalanche!

I waited for the snow to come closer, then Flower understood what to do. I grabbed onto the edges of the ice and she hurled us into the air with her vines. We miraculously landed on the advancing powder, allowing Swirls and Lightning to aim their attacks behind us. With the increased speed of the snow, we advanced further than Danny and slammed into the hot grains of sand.

As I spit out sand that got into my mouth, the three girls laughed. "That was fun!" Lightning ecstatically shouted. "Let's do it again!"

Danny and Yuki then ran over to us. "Is everyone okay?" he asked.

I took off my jacket and sweater and sighed, "Yeah. That was close."

Danny beamed. "It sure was! You really took me by surprise. Sorry about the surprise attack. That was an unofficial test to see your reactions to an unexpected tactic. But you passed with flying colors, and you beat me too!" He then took out a light pink, ruffled shell from his pocket. When he showed it to me, there was a smaller red shell with a circular green jewel in the center. "You and your team deserve this Sea Ruby Badge."

"Thanks, Danny!" I gently picked up the beautiful badge and placed it into my badge case. "And thanks to you three too! That was some girl power!"

We all laughed, until I felt hotter than usual. "A-Achoo!" _Oh, great... I caught a cold..._

 **Pokémon: Blaze** **(Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls** **(Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning** **(Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower** **(Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What did you think of the challenge?

How will the Eevee Showboat do during the festival?


	14. OI 13

**Summer and Yuki stayed on Navel Island for the former's Gym challenge. After climbing the tallest mountain in the Orange Islands, and surviving the freezing cold, she was able to defeat Danny and earn her second badge. The two girls then head to Moro Island, where the Eevee Showboat is preparing for the upcoming festival. Unfortunately, someone from Yuki's past begins to interfere. Who is this person, and will Yuki be able to handle the situation alone?**

 **Chapter 13- The Coordinator Conflict**

After recovering from my cold and practicing with Yuki for a few days, we headed to Moro Island for the Showboat Festival. The water was blue and calm, perfect for surfing. We talked about new potential strategies as Edelweiss ferried us on her back.

"I see…" I surmised. "So if Lightning drags Iron Tail into the ground around the field and prepares a Thunderbolt, it'll cause a dust cloud that'll not only prevent my opponent from finding her, it'll also allow her to attack because she can see with the added light from the electricity."

"That's right! Since the dust blocks light, lighting is more effective if it's close to someone." Yuki then pondered a strategy I taught her. "Though you have to be aware of the cloud trail she'll leave. Just to double check, I can make Ume's moves more effective if I guide her on where the target is."

I nodded. "Because you're on the ground, you see movement faster than she can in the air. If you tell her where to go, she'll be able to adjust more quickly and gain the power needed to execute the attack."

Yuki squealed. "I really like learning from you, Summer! You're so patient and easy to follow."

I laughed. "And you explain things so well. Knowing the methods of the combination really helps me understand it better."

Suddenly a large wave rolled from our right. Edelweiss stopped and said, "Hold on, girls."

She lifted her head and sung a short but pretty song. A light blue shield surrounded us, causing the water harmlessly roll over the translucent barrier. We gratefully patted the Lapras as a girl on a jet ski pulled over next to us.

She was about our age, with long, wavy black hair and bright blue eyes. A loose white T-shirt covered her light blue bikini and her fair skin. What really caught my eye was streaks of light blue and white braided in her hair.

Yuki slightly cowered behind me as soon as she saw the girl.

"Sorry about that," she apologized. Her voice sounded pleasant, but I felt it only masked her arrogance. When she saw my scared friend, the girl rudely laughed. "Oh, look! It's the so-called 'prodigy'," she insulted. "What are you doing here, Yuki? I thought you gave up on Contests."

"I didn't say that, Azura!" the now angry girl protested. "I said I was taking a break."

Azura then looked at me. "Who's she?" she asked without looking at Yuki. I was about to introduce myself when she interrupted, "Never mind. I know who you are. You're Summer Scorcher, right?" I opened my mouth but she continued, "Of course you are. You lost in the Indigo League to that entitled jerk."

I waited for her to continue interrupting me, but to my relief, she didn't. "Weldon's not an entitled jerk. He works hard and doesn't rely on his family influence."

Azura burst out laughing. "You're so blind! Anyone who's from a well-known family or has a special ability is automatically destined to be great. Unlike that weak girl over there." She angrily pointed at Yuki, who started to whimper. "She has that photographic memory and her parents were well known in Sinnoh. But she's a subpar Coordinator. Her lineage and gift are wasted on a useless girl."

"Okay, that's enough!" I shouted, slightly startling the bully. "How can you base someone just on two things?! There's more to a person than just heritage and natural talent. You may have beaten Yuki in the Grand Festival, but you're still behind in personality."

Azura growled at the unexpected lecture but stopped when a woman riding a long light blue Pokémon flew over us. The Pokémon was quite beautiful, like her Trainer, and they both wore matching dark blue pearls. The woman was tall, thin, and pale-skinned. Her straight red hair and dark green eyes made her look like a supermodel.

[Dragonair, the Dragon Pokémon and the evolved form of Dratini. A Dragonair stores an enormous amount of energy inside its body. It is said to alter the weather around it by loosing energy from the crystal on its neck and tail.]

"Azura!" she scolded in a slightly high pitched and haughty tone. "You were supposed to be back ten minutes ago! I need your help with the show."

Azura grumbled, "Fine, Dahlia." She then glared at us. "This isn't over, Summer! And especially you, Yuki!"

Dahlia's light eyebrow raised. "So that's Daisy's niece," she mumbled. She then forcefully smiled at us. "Tell Daisy she needs all the luck she can get."

After the two unbearable women left, Edelweiss happily continued her swim to the docks. Yuki began to cry, and I gave her a big, comforting hug.

 **Later that day...**

"She did WHAT?" Daisy shrieked after I told her what happened. Luckily, we were inside the Eevee Showboat so no one could hear us.

Yuki bluntly replied, "It's okay, Aunt Daisy. I'm used to it."

But the woman continued to fume. "I heard Dahlia got someone to help for the summer, but I didn't expect it to be Azura…"

Will tried to calm Daisy down, but she refused his aid. I whispered to Marybelle, who was observing the angry owner, "Who is Dahlia anyway?"

The old woman sighed. "She's a showboat owner, a popular one too. She mainly uses female Pokémon in her shows, and she has a lot of male fans. But she doesn't take kindly to showboat performers who don't have a family history with them. Take Daisy for example. Ever since Daisy retired as a Coordinator to become a showboat performer, she and Dahlia have always been butting heads. If it's not lineage, it's usually show plots, dock permits, festivals, competitions, etcetera."

"That's pretty ironic since Azura hates people who do have legacies."

The elderly woman chuckled. "Very true. But Dahlia does train hard, so I think the young girl likes that about her."

"How do you know so much about Dahlia, Marybelle?"

She sighed. "I hate to admit it, but I was her mentor. She relied on my advice until she was so popular, she didn't need me anymore."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Marybelle looked at me with a proud smile. "I'm not upset. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have met Daisy."

Daisy began to heave deep breaths with Will's coaching. "I know you're upset, Daisy, but we need to focus on the show," he advised. "We only got half of the script done!"

Daisy regained her composure and sighed, "You're right, Will. Thanks."

He genuinely smiled, then turned to employer's niece. "Yuki," he caringly advised. "Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself, okay?"

Yuki slowly nodded. "Okay. I'll try, Will."

Daisy then addressed us, "Now then. Let's get back to the writing. Girls, why don't you take the Eeveelutions for a walk? You can walk through downtown to Moro Park. A couple of hours will do. Be careful, okay?"

After she left out her six Pokémon, Yuki replied, "We will. Come on, Summer!" She giggled and ran outside, with Buckeye, Redwood, and Cactus sprinting with Ichigo. Primrose, Moonflower, and Twinberry decided to walk with Lightning and me.

As we trekked through the shops along the bustling seaport, the Pokémon Center caught my eye.

"What is it?" Lightning asked.

I looked at the door. "I should talk to Professor Oak about my journey. Would it be okay if I make a quick phone call?"

"Sure!" the girls responded.

* * *

Yuki continued to run along Prime Avenue with Ichigo, Buckeye, Cactus, and Redwood not far behind. When they reached a busy intersection, they came to a stop.

The girl looked behind them. "Where's Summer and the rest of them? Oh well. They'll catch up."

They crossed the street and entered the sprawling lands of Moro Park. Unfortunately, she was there too.

* * *

We exited the Pokémon Center, with Twinberry curious about my call. "So you think she'll like it?" she asked me.

"Of course," I grinned. "He does need more help with that project, and this is a good way to continue testing it."

Two boys walked past us. "Did you hear? There's going to be a battle at Moro Park!"

"Yeah, I just got the notice from that app 'Battle On'. Apparently it's between two Coordinators."

"Aww...that's lame!"

"Yeah, but it's between two that graduated from Tangelo Elementary. And they're rivals."

"Guess that'll be interesting. Let's go." They then ran towards the park.

 _Those two Coordinators...and the location… That sounds like…_ "Yuki!" I cried out. "We need to make sure she's okay."

We ran to the intersection, only to be stopped by a large man and a red light. _Hopefully this isn't one of those long lights…_

* * *

"A battle?! What for?" Yuki cautiously inquired.

Azura sneered. "I want to see if I'm getting stronger. And what better way to prove it than against the girl I despise. Since I made the challenge, you choose the battle format."

Yuki was hesitant. She'd only been training with Summer for a one day. And the memories of her loss were still fresh in her mind. Then she noticed a small crowd gathering around.

Her rival snobbily added, "Oh yeah. I told people about our battle on 'Battle On'. If you don't accept, you'll disappoint all these people."

Yuki sighed but she remembered what Will said. She determinedly stared at her rival, making the aggressor intrigued. "Alright, I accept. We'll battle using the doubles Contest format!"

This interested Azura and the crowd. "Fine by me. Nuvola, Peluria, show her how it's done!"

Yuki nodded to Ichigo, who ran in front of her, ready to battle. "Momo, let's go!"

* * *

"Come on! We've been waiting for the green light for several minutes!" I muttered.

"It's a shame the pedestrian crossing is only one way here," Moonflower lamented.

I looked at the street light again. "Oh wait, the light's turning green. Let's go!"

Unfortunately, the large man was so busy reading his newspaper and listening to music on his headphones that he didn't notice the walk sign.

"Sir?" I politely asked while tapping on his shoulder. "The light's green."

But he didn't budge. I would've walked around him, but the crossing was narrow to allow cars more room in the narrow streets.

I tapped harder. "Sir! The light's about to turn yellow!"

When he finally noticed my fervent cries, the walk sign turned off and the light changed to yellow, then red. He lowered his headphones and said in a deep voice, "Sorry, miss. I was too engrossed in this new song by the Loudredlocks. I'll step back and let you go first in case I get distracted again."

"Thanks." We switched places and once the light turned green and the walk sign turned on, we ran down the street. Hopefully, the battle was still going on so we could make sure Yuki was all right.

We passed through the wooden arch with the words "Moro Park" and saw a crowd of kids surrounding something. A light blue Pokémon with a long neck and cottony wings flew into the air and unleashed a Dragonbreath at some stars, mostly likely from a Swift attack, that were launched from the ground. The Swift absorbed the green flames and fell back to earth like shooting stars. However, a whirlwind of strong snow blew the green stars back into the air and turned them light blue. A Discharge attack gave them enough energy to fall once more, this time, causing an explosion.

As we tried to break through the rambunctious crowd, who were marveling at the combinations, I heard, "Not bad, Yuki. But you won't beat me!"

"We'll see, Azura!"

 _That's Azura for sure. But that can't be Yuki. She's usually timid about battling._

Twinberry, growing tired of obstacles, looked at Primrose expectantly. The Vaporeon nodded and whispered, "Come on, Summer and Moonlight. We'll watch using water vision."

We followed the Water and Psychic type away from the crowd. "Water vision? What's that?"

Primrose slowly opened her mouth and two water orbs appeared. Twinberry then used her psychic abilities to control the Water Pulses. She moved one over the battlefield and morphed the other one into a flat disc about the size of a large saucer. There, we were able to watch the match, as if we were standing in the front.

"That's really cool, Twinberry," I complemented. _Now I can scan the Pokémon._

[Altaria, the Humming Pokémon and the evolved form of Swablu. It hums in a beautiful soprano voice. It flies among white clouds in the blue sky. It launches intensely hot fireballs from its mouth. Delcatty, the Prim Pokémon and the evolved of Skitty. Rather than keeping a permanent lair, it habitually seeks comfortable spots and sleeps there. It is nocturnal and becomes active at dusk.]

"Nuvola, use Mist!" Azura commanded. The Humming Pokémon sang a high-pitched note and a white mist covered the field, blocking everything in view.

"Stay calm, guys!" Yuki reassured. "Momo, Rapid Spin!"

As the Wartortle ducked into his shell and spun around, Azura sneered, "Thanks for the free wind. Peluria, Shock Wave!"

The Normal type snickered and charged a wave of piercing electricity at the spinning Water type. The vortex caused the Electric type attack to swirl around and hit Momo directly.

As Momo came out of his shell, Yuki shouted, "Ichigo, Hidden Power!"

"Nuvola, Protect!"

The blue barrier immediately stopped the green-blue orbs, causing them to explode like fireworks. As the crowd gasped at the beauty of the move, Azura flashed a haughty smile. "Peluria, Assist! Nuvola, Aerial Ace!"

The Dragon type dove towards the ground, then charged at her opponents in a white light. The Normal type spun around and meowed happily. With a flick of her tail, a flurry of leaves headed towards Momo and Ichigo.

Yuki didn't show any hesitation and commanded, "Ichigo, Helping Hand! Momo, Blizzard!"

The Minun moved his hands up and down furiously, and a glowing white light surrounded Momo. He took a deep breath and exhaled a snowstorm much stronger than the one earlier.

"Did you forget, Yuki? Protect!" Both of Azura's Pokémon surrounded themselves with the protective light, taking no damage from the enhanced Blizzard. Momo and Ichigo were hurt by the Razor Leaf and thrown backwards when Nuvola slammed into them. Ichigo stood up immediately, but Momo looked a lot worse.

Yuki worriedly looked at her starter. "Are you okay, Momo?"

He nodded and stood up, though a little shaky.

Azura snickered. "This scene looks familiar. Oh yeah, this looks like what happened at the Grand Festival."

Yuki was frozen by her rival's words. "Come on, Yuki!" I encouraged, despite her not hearing me. "You can do it."

The Wartortle and Minun glanced at their Trainer, waiting for her command. Yuki saw their unwavering expressions and muttered to herself, "Summer's right. A battle's not over despite how things are going. Let's show Azura what we're made of!" Excited by Yuki's words, Momo's tail suddenly created a vortex of water. She was shocked, but she recognized the move and smiled. "Momo, Aqua Tail! Ichigo, Discharge!"

Momo jumped forward and swung his tail onto the grass while Ichigo charged up the Electric type attack behind him. The two attacks merged to form an electrified whirlpool.

Azura, stunned by the turn of events, shouted, "Protect!" Her Pokémon tried to create the barriers, but they couldn't after using the move too frequently. Nuvola and Peluria were trapped inside and yelled in pain from the sparks and raging water. When the combination disappeared, both Pokémon were panting but still standing. "That can't be!" she growled. "Girls, get ready for our finishing combo!"

As Yuki and her Pokémon braced for the impending attack, a loud siren echoed through the park. Everyone immediately fled, not wanting to get involved with the police. Azura reluctantly returned her Pokémon and threatened, "This isn't over, Yuki! Next time we battle, I'll make sure I crush you!"

Right after she sprinted out of the park, Detective Beach walked over hold a small red siren in his left hand. "That should drive away those hooligans for a while." He then looked at us and softly smiled. "I had a feeling that was you, Yuki. You do know battling is not permitted during this time in Moro Park, right?"

"I-I didn't know..." Yuki timidly stuttered. "I'm sorry, Detective Beach."

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. Besides, I want to see you and Summer at the Showboat Festival."

I was startled by the two looking at us. "Thanks, Detective Beach."

He nodded. "Good luck. I can't wait to see the Eevee Showboat's performance." He walked out of the park and allowed us to walk back to the marina with Daisy's Pokémon in tow.

"Did you watch the whole time?" Yuki asked nervously.

"I didn't, but I did watch the second half. You battled really well. I know you'll beat Azura next time. Oh yeah, I got you this for you." I took out an earpiece from my pocket. "I got it from Professor Oak earlier. Since you helped me so much on my journey, you deserve to try this out."

She was so excited, so immediately put it on her left ear. "Thanks, Summer! I really appreciate it! We'll race you back to the boat!"

"You're on!" We laughed at the eight Pokémon happily ran behind us. Tomorrow would show if our hard work on the showboat paid off.

 **Pokémon: Blaze** **(Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls** **(Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning** **(Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower** **(Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What do you think of Azura?

Is Azura's philosophy valid?

How was the battle between Yuki and Azura?


	15. OI 14

**As Summer and Yuki arrived on Moro Island for the annual Showboat Festival, the latter had the displeasure of seeing her rival, Azura, there. After some reassurance from Will, Yuki was able to battle Azura without help from her family and friends. Now, the moment the Eevee Showboat has been preparing for has arrived. What will the first day bring for them, and what crisis will the Prism Warrior face?**

 **P.S.- The performance will be done in the third person.**

 **Chapter 14- The Prism Warrior: Uniting Shizuka Part 1**

"Done!" Yuki joyfully exclaimed as she finished hanging up the group banner over the doorway leading into the first floor. We spent the last two days rehearsing and making decorations for the Showboat Festival. According to Daisy's vision, she wanted a banner for each of the Eeveelutions, which were lined along the auditorium. Will was busy making the final preparations for the special rainbow based food and refreshments in the kitchen while Marybelle made sure the script was perfect.

Daisy came outside and praised, "Looks good, you two! Nice job."

I wiped the sweat off my forehead. "Thanks, Daisy. I can't believe tomorrow's the start of the festival."

She nodded. "Time sure goes by fast. But we did it. Let's head inside for dinner and the final game plan."

Our stomachs rumbling, we went downstairs where Will and Marybelle greeted us with rows of delicious-smelling food.

"I hope you're hungry! I prepared a feast of potato wedges, caprese salad, BLT sandwiches, mini pizzas, rainbow corn chips with hummus and salsa, rainbow cookies, and fizzy sunset coolers. These will all be on the dinner menu, so I appreciate any feedback."

"It looks so good, Will. Let's dig in!" Daisy cheered.

We let out our Pokémon, excluding Rocky, and we feasted on Will's homemade goodies. I thoroughly enjoyed everything, especially the sunset coolers. It not only had orange and lemon lime soda, it also had a little Bluk Berry juice and a juicy Cheri Berry. I saved some of each for Rocky to try.

After an hour of eating, Daisy said, "Thank you all so much for working on this festival. Let's do our best and win this year!"

We raised our cups and clinked them, signaling the start of a promising competition.

* * *

Magma gazed at Moro Island as he and Terra sailed under the cover of darkness to another island. When he saw the glowing lights of the showboats docked along the pier, he sighed.

 _The Showboat Festival… It seemed so long ago when Forrest and I helped Yuki and Daisy with it last year. But I can't think about the past...my mission's more important…_

"We getting closer to South Mandarin Island," Terra informed her slightly distracted partner. "Let's get ready to dock."

He looked at her, hair flowing in the wind, and helped bring their yacht to a secluded cove.

* * *

"Hello everyone, and welcome to the tenth annual Showboat Festival!" the mayor of Moro Island shouted to the large crowd of supporters. He was a short man with balding hair and brown eyes, but his exuberant personality made him much younger. We and the other crews stood on our boats and waved to everyone. "For those of you new to this event, this weekend pays special tribute to the top showboats that travel around the Orange Islands, spreading joy and entertainment through their stories and Pokémon. Shows will start at 9am, 1pm, and 6pm and last for about two hours. All of you should have received five viewing tickets and a polling form. The tickets are good for one show each, food and drinks included. Once you finish watching your five shows, please fill out the name of the showboat with the best overall experience, best show, best food, and best customer service. There will also be an award for the most viewed performance. We will then announce the results at the end of the festival on Sunday. And if you want to take a break, we also have showboat seminars and workshops taught by retired showboat owners and performers, food vendors, and merchandise. Now, enjoy the festival and we look forward to your opinions!"

After another cheer from the crowd, the people dispersed either to white tents or lined up in front of their first showboat of choice. Daisy was ecstatic about the long line of people that formed outside our boat. She then glanced at Dahlia's pink and light blue boat, the _Qualot Queen_. Unsurprisingly, her rival's line was also the same length as ours. "Let's not focus on her. Let's give everyone a great show!"

We cheered and headed inside. Yuki and I invited the guests inside and took their tickets. As we put them into a locked metal box provided by the festival organizers, we heard nothing but wonderful comments about the decorations and anticipation for the show from one of the most well received showboats. Once it became 8:00, we shut the doors and helped Will serve the hungry guests rainbow juice, fruity pancakes with either bacon or Chansey eggs, and berry salad. It was a little hectic, but we also practiced serving food with Will for the past two days. After half an hour, the people filed into the auditorium for the first show. Will, Yuki, and I cleaned up the restaurant and headed backstage to finish the preparations for our Pokémon. Marybelle and Daisy finished putting on the costumes for all of the actors.

"Are you guys ready?" I asked Blaze and Lightning. The Blaziken wore a red scarf around his left arms while the Raichu had a yellow bandana around her head.

She sheepishly rubbed her head. "I'm a little nervous, Summer. This is the largest crowd we performed for. And we're doing the same show more than three times."

Blaze gently placed his left hand on her shoulder. "You'll be fine, Lightning. We all practiced hard for this."

She smiled, blushing slightly. "Thanks, Blaze."

"Come on Summer," Yuki whispered, tapping on my shoulder. We need to get to the sound booth."

"Okay. Good luck everyone!"

They waved goodbye, and we quietly climbed up to the booth backstage. It was a narrow room, but we were able to fit everyone inside. Not only were there microphone headsets, there was also a sound and lighting board to control the stage atmosphere, and three television screens that showed the three parts of the stage. As I looked through the script one more time, I tried to remember the cues, the lines, and the voices for the actors.

 _Okay, Will is in charge of Blaze, Charge, Pyro, and Cactus... Yuki has Momo, Ichigo, and Ume... I have Lightning, Errol, Flower, and Swirls... And Daisy...wow... She has Buckeye, Redwood, Primrose, Moonlight, Twinberry, Moonbeam, and Starlight... I hope she can manage them all. And I hope I can manage all of this; it's a lot more complex than the other plays I acted for. I only practiced for two days!_

Daisy saw my worried expression and whispered, "Don't be so focused on remembering everything, Summer. Just think about the performance as if it was done in real life. You'll do great."

I grinned. "Thanks, Daisy. I'll take your advice."

Daisy said with a bit of pep in her voice, "Great. Now, let's give them a good time!"

We all nodded and put on our headsets. After we turned them on and positioned the microphones to our mouths, Will pressed the button controlling the auditorium lights intermittently, signaling to the crowd the show was about to begin.

Maybelle began the tale. "In a land called Shizuka, where hills roll towards the forest, two roaming Pokémon tribes tried to find a permanent home. The first tribe was named Magma, after its intelligent leader, Pyro."

Pyro walked onto the stage from the left, wearing a brass crown and a red cape.

"The other tribe was named Spark, due their leader, Charge's boundless energy and strength."

Charge cartwheeled on the opposite side of the stage, drawing giggles from the younger viewers. He wore a silver crown and black sweatbands around his wrists.

When the two Pokémon saw each other, they angrily growled. "Unfortunately, the two leaders are bitter enemies ever since an incident five years ago. Now, they and their members fight each other whenever their eyes meet. Now that they spied this new living space, the two tribes have been warring ever since."

Blaze jumped out in front of Pyro while Lightning ran out from Charge's side. As the two teams charged at each other, the stage went dark.

"This battle has not only hurt them, but also the peaceful residents who lived nearby. Only one Pokémon can remedy this...the Prism Warrior, Buckeye!"

The crowd excitedly clapped, giving Will the signal to open the curtain. The stage was now showing a green landscape with a small house in the distance. I took a deep breath, and, with the script in front of me, I imagined the scene on the stage in my head.

* * *

Lightning walked over the hill and said, "I'm getting tired of fighting King Pyro's weak soldiers. I need stronger opponents." As she walked towards a fruit tree, she defensively crouched down.

Blaze walked towards her, his arms crossed. "Aren't you the new Spark tribe second-in-command, Lightning? You know you're approaching Magma territory."

"I could say the same thing...Blaze," Lightning replied with a smirk. "You're heading towards the Spark tribe. I thought the feared warrior of the Magma tribe knows not to cross into our terrain."

Blaze raised his left eyebrow. "I see you are well informed. Then you know what we must do."

"I'm already ready. Bring it on!"

But before the two could engage in battle, two scrolls fell from the sky. The Pokémon read their respective letters and frowned.

"We'll settle this later," Blaze warned as he walked away.

"Count on it," Lightning growled.

Moonbeam and Starlight exited their home once they saw the two warriors walk towards their respective bases.

"Thank goodness they didn't fight..." Moonbeam sighed in relief. "I don't think I can rebuild my home again."

Starlight vented, "I'm getting tired of this! These two tribes fighting for that vacant land are hurting us, and they don't seem to care!"

Moonbeam tried to comfort her friend. "Don't worry, Starlight. We'll think of something." Suddenly, a Pokémon wearing a dark hooded cloak walked towards them. When he stopped, the Clefairy asked, "Can I help you, stranger?"

Two long brown ears popped out from the hood. To their amazement, the Pokémon pushed his head back to pull back the hood, revealing an Eevee. A round necklace with a jewel split into red, yellow, blue, pink, and black colors confirmed his identity.

"The Prism Warrior!" Moonbeam gasped.

Starlight didn't share her friend's amazed reaction. "Who's the Prism Warrior?"

Moonbeam slapped her behind the head. "He's a roaming hero who can shift into his evolutions using his rainbow amulet! He went through many trials to obtain the ability to temporary evolve and devolve into five Pokémon, each with a different skill and personality."

Buckeye smiled at the explanation. "Thank you, miss. You can just call me Buckeye. Being called the Prism Warrior all the time's a little...too much for me."

"Of course! I'm Moonbeam. This here is my friend, Starlight."

He bowed to the two fellow Normal types. "Nice to meet you both." He then became serious. "I've heard about what's been happening in Shizuka, and I came as soon as I could."

"Why don't you stay with us for a while?" Moonbeam offered. "You must be hungry and tired from your long journey."

Starlight nodded. "We still have some of our lunch left. Go ahead and eat it."

"Thank you, ladies." He then went inside the house with the Clefairy and Jigglypuff, enjoying their food and company.

* * *

Lightning bowed before her leader, King Charge. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

The Electabuzz nodded. "I received knowledge that the Prism Warrior has arrived to stop the war. I want you to defeat him. If you do, this should be the final step to claiming that area."

She nodded confidently. "I can do it, sir."

He warned, "The Prism Warrior is an excellent fighter. You better not fail, Lightning."

"Of course, sir." She then ran back to her patrol location, eager to stop this powerful Pokémon. It took her a long time to prove herself to the king; now she had to make sure to win to secure his approval. She scanned the green hills for the Prism Warrior. "Finally, a strong opponent. Now where could he be? He does wear that gaudy necklace..." She then saw Buckeye leaving Moonbeam's home and saw the item she just mentioned. _Now I got you..._

"Hold it right there!" she shouted, causing the Eevee to curiously look at her. "You're the Prism Warrior, aren't you?"

"Yeah, that's me," Buckeye bluntly replied. "Who are you?"

She scoffed, "I'm the second-in-command of the Spark tribe, Lightning! Prepare to taste defeat!"

She launched a Thunderbolt attack at Buckeye, who smirked at the direct approach. He closed his eyes and tilted his head upwards, creating a light blue barrier that not only protected himself, but also the house, Moonbeam, and Starlight.

"Ladies, stay inside," he cautioned. "This will get dangerous."

The two Normal types nodded and closed the door behind them. Buckeye walked forward and threw off his cloak. With a flick of his tail, he prepared himself for battle. But before they could begin, someone appeared from the sky and landed in front of them.

"Blaze!" Lightning angrily growled. "What are you doing here?! The Prism Warrior's mine!"

Blaze glanced at his rival and smirked. "Thanks for telling me what I needed to know, Lightning. I will defeat the Prism Warrior so that the Magma tribe can claim that land."

"NO! The land belongs to the Spark tribe!"

As the two Pokémon glared at each other, Buckeye decided to use their animosity to his advantage. "How about this? I'll battle both of you at the same time. Whoever lands the finishing blow will be the one who claims the land. But I win, both of you will tell me what I want to know."

Lightning and Blaze reluctantly nodded. "Fine by me," she agreed.

"Let's do this," Blaze shouted as he ran towards Buckeye. But the Raichu tripped him with her tail, forcing him to stumble onto the grass.

Lightning charged forward as her tail glowed silver. "Take this!" she shouted, swinging the Iron Tail forward. With his quick feet, Buckeye easily dodged to his right, surprising Lightning. He then leaped forward, slamming into her body. She somersaulted backwards and slid to a stop. _He's tougher than I thought. And he hasn't evolved yet!_

"What about this!" She jumped and charged another Thunderbolt attack, one more powerful that the first. This usually caused fear from her opponents.

Buckeye, however, showed none of the emotions she expected. His amulet glowed yellow, and a bright white light surrounded him. The Electric attack made contact, but instead of hitting an Eevee, a Jolteon, named Cactus, took his place.

Cactus smiled as the Thunderbolt harmlessly coursed through his body. "Thanks for the snack, Lightning. Now you'll see with an Electric type can really do!"

 _Darn it, he evolved to use the Volt Absorb Ability! But I can't stop now._

She charged at her opponent in glowing white light while Cactus did the same. The two collided and struggled to gain control. To her surprise, his fur felt sharp and released several white needles. Unable to dodge, she was thrown back by the Pin Missile, and she crashed into the grass.

As she struggled to stand, Blaze took his turn. Cactus dodged each of his Fire Punches but was caught off guard by a surprise Blaze Kick to the ribs. The Jolteon slid back, his amulet now glowing blue. In a flash, he changed back into an Eevee, then into his Vaporeon form, Primrose.

Blaze, unfazed by the type disadvantage, exhaled a powerful Flamethrower. Primrose, sensing a strategy, opened her mouth and unleashed a Water Pulse with the same diameter as the Flamethrower's. The two elemental attacks collided, forming steamy clouds that covered the field.

"Smart move, Prism Warrior," Blaze smugly complimented. "But I know how to find my opponents in this situation."

But as he scanned misty air, he couldn't find her. He was so surprised, he didn't notice the Vaporeon slowly materializing behind him until he felt an orb of water explode on his back. He gasped in pain and knelt down, panting. Seeing another opportunity for a fresh attack, Lightning aimed her Thunderbolt at Blaze and Primrose. The Bubble Jet Pokémon felt the electricity coming towards her and narrowly avoided the lightning bolt with her quick feet. Just like before, she changed into Buckeye, then back to Cactus.

Cactus dug into the ground and disappeared. Lightning cautiously scanned the soil for any sudden movement. But instead of appearing in front of her, the Jolteon pierced the ground under her and slammed into her stomach. She gasped in pain and fell; this time, she was unable to continue battling.

Blaze, now with the chance to defeat the famed Pokémon, ran forward with a Fire Punch. Cactus, knowing he couldn't withstand another physical attack, waited for the Blaziken to get closer. When he saw that the Fire type's right leg start to ignite, the Lightning Pokémon dashed backwards. As the amulet glowed red, he became Redwood, the wild Flareon.

"Trying to limit my move choices, huh?" Blaze analyzed. "I still have my most powerful move yet."

Redwood smirked. "And I still have this!" He coughed out purple smoke, covering the field in another cloud.

Blaze coughed, and his eyesight became blurred. But his ears were still sharp as he tried to sense the Flareon. Then, the air around him became hot. Before he knew it, he heard a long bang and collapsed to the ground, badly injured. Redwood gracefully landed and sighed sadly. He didn't expect the explosion to be that powerful when he used Fire Spin on the smoggy cloud.

"I think I took it a little too far," he muttered. "I should heal both of them first."

But when he activated his amulet, Redwood was hit by a black beam of energy, and he screamed in pain. The red, blue, and yellow segments of the jewel slowly dimmed, until they became blacker than the black segment of his amulet. After the light disappeared, he collapsed and immediately returned to his Eevee form.

 **Pokémon: Blaze** **(Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls** **(Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning** **(Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower** **(Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What do you think of the rules for the Showboat Festival?

What was the reason that caused the Magma and Spark tribes to fight?

Where did the black light come from?


	16. OI 15

**With the Showboat Festival now underway, the members of the Eevee Showboat began their first showing of** _ **The Prism Warrior- Uniting Shizuka**_ **. In this story, Buckeye, the Prism Warrior, arrived in Shizuka to stop an ongoing feud between the Magma and Spark tribes. He defeated Blaze and Lightning, the warriors of the respective tribes, but was struck by a dark energy. After the Prism Warrior learns about the past events, he journeys to find an elder to learn more. But will he be able to end the conflict before a war finally breaks out?**

 **Chapter 15- The Prism Warrior- Uniting Shizuka Part 2**

"Wh-What happened…?" Buckeye muttered. He slowly opened his eyes and saw he was inside Moonbeam's house, lying on a straw bed. Nearby, Starlight was tending to Blaze and Lightning, who were still weak from the earlier battle.

He struggled to his feet but fell back onto the bed. Moonbeam saw this and ran over. "Buckeye! You should continue to rest. You suffered a lot of damage from that black light."

"Bl-Black light?" The Eevee then looked at his amulet and gasped. "So that's what happened... and why I feel so weak. My strength is tied to this jewel. That light must've absorbed the energy from Cactus, Primrose, and Redwood. Now only Moonlight and Twinberry remain…"

The two then heard light moaning coming from Blaze and Lightning. When they looked at each other, they immediately turned away. Buckeye hid the amulet inside his ruff and walked to the weakened warriors. "Can you please tell me what you know about the feud going on with your tribes?"

Lightning scoffed, "Fine...since you beat us… It started five years ago with our leaders. I was young at the time, so I don't know much."

"Then why are you telling the story?" Blaze interjected. "I have firsthand experience being in King Pyro's guard at that time."

"So what?! You're only just a year older than me!"

As the two continued to bicker, the Prism Warrior sighed and tilted his head upwards. He was surrounded in a pink light, but for some strange reason, the evolution was a lot more painful. But it was successful; in his place was Twinberry, the meticulous but impatient Espeon.

Moonbeam excitedly clapped her hands. "Ooh… Twinberry's my favorite of the five."

The Psychic type lifted the two rivals into the air, forcing them to stop arguing. "Look, I don't care whose memory is better. I just want to know based on your knowledge of it!"

"Fine already, just let us down!" the two agreed simultaneously.

After Twinberry placed them back on the beds, albeit briskly, Lightning began her story, "King Charge fell in love with a Corsola that lived in a lake hidden in the far south of Shizuka. She appeared out of nowhere and told the king she was lost and needed help. After giving her shelter and food, she told him she fell in love with the king. He returned those feelings and after spending a few weeks with the Corsola, he wanted to marry her. But she said she had to return to the lake and told him to follow her after two days. When he did as he was told, our tribe ran into the Magma tribe. Without any explanation, they attacked our tribe. King Charge and the warriors fended them off, but King Pyro swore vengeance on our tribe while our king promised to find a way into the land. Since I started my training two years ago, I was told that any member of the Magma tribe must be defeated in order to find the Corsola. And that's all I know."

Blaze crossed his arms, his mind processing what she said. "How odd… That sounds similar to what happened with King Pyro…"

Twinberry cocked her head. "Really? Do tell."

The Blaziken explained, "King Pyro also fell in love with a Corsola from that lake. I actually saw them together often during my training. I thought she was pretty, but her eyes were dark, much darker than the night sky; I had a bad feeling about her ever since. The last day they were together, she said she had to hurry back to the lake to escape from a Pokémon she didn't love. She told him where the land was located, which was south of here and that he deserved her love. After a few days since she left, he led us to the land, where the Spark tribe was also approaching. King Pyro assumed King Charge was the jealous Pokémon the Corsola mentioned and attacked him. After the confrontation, he told us to battle any member of the Spark tribe. I followed his rule and defeated many foes, but now… I think this Corsola is behind everything."

Twinberry paced around the house, analyzing and compiling the details she heard. "So...both kings met and fell in love for the same Corsola. But why would she trick both of them…?"

"Twinberry? Why don't we see O Wise Wartortle?" Starlight suggested. "He is the oldest resident in Shizuka. Maybe he knows what's going on."

The Espeon nodded in agreement. "I've heard of him. His knowledge in old legends is well known. I'll go alone."

"But it's dangerous if you don't know the way," the Jigglypuff pointed out. "We can lead you to him. We know the way."

Twinberry bowed. "Thank you, ladies."

"What about them?" Moonbeam asked, pointing to a confused Blaze and Lightning.

The Espeon looked at the two warriors. "Your injuries seemed to have healed, so you're free to leave. I don't want to add any additional burden on you two by asking you to join us. I wish you good fortune."

The five went outside and the three travelers headed east to the thick forest. The two warriors didn't budge, unsure of what to do next. Then he stepped forward.

"Are you actually going to help them?" Lightning asked, puzzled by her rival's behavior.

He looked at the Raichu and nodded. "I do follow a code of honor to aid whoever helps me. And I want to know the truth about this Corsola."

Before he could take a few steps, she approached him. "Well, I'm still confused about this whole situation. I should make sure you don't change your mind and attack the Prism Warrior."

He chuckled. "I see. Let's catch up to them." After a firm nod, the two ran up to the trio and the group journeyed into the forest.

* * *

In the shadows behind the house, a Minun wearing a black cloak watched the earlier events. In his hands was a medium-sized purple onyx stone. "So they're going to see the elder. Like that's going to help, especially since I weakened the pathetic Prism Warrior."

"Are you talking to yourself again, Ichigo?"

The Electric type jumped and glared at his companion, also concealed under a cloak. "Ume! I told you not to scare me like that!"

She laughed as she shook the hood off her head. "Oh come on, you need to get over your jumpiness. Anyway, Master Errol wants us to start the second part of the domination."

"Fine." He climbed onto the Swellow's back and flew north towards the disputed land.

* * *

The five Pokémon traipsed through the woods trying to reach the location of the elder. Although they were traveling at a good pace, one Pokémon was less prepared.

"H-How much...l-longer…?" Lightning exhaustively asked.

Starlight looked at the swaying tree branches. "Another hour or so."

"WHAT!" she gasped. She felt forward onto the ground and lightly moaned.

Twinberry looked around. "The forest is getting darker. Let me change into Moonflower." The devolution to Eevee felt normal, but when Buckeye tried to evolve, he winced in pain.

"Wait, Buckeye!" Moonbeam cautioned. "You seem to be in a lot of pain when you evolve. You should stay as an Eevee for the time being."

He smirked. "Thank you for your concern, Moonbeam, but I'll be okay. I need Moonflower's help."

As he attempted to evolve again, Blaze crouched down next to the tired Raichu. Annoyed, she turned away and asked, "Are you here to mock me for my lack of stamina?" To her surprise, the Blaziken carried her and stood up. Shocked by the Fire type's actions, she flailed, forcing him to let her go. "I don't need your help, Blaze! I can handle it." But her wobbly legs said otherwise.

The Fire type grabbed her tail, making her squeal in pain. "If you don't want to be carried, we have to get you there somehow."

"Are you two ready to go?" The warriors turned around and saw it was the quiet Umbreon, Moonflower.

"Yeah," Blaze responded. Lightning scowled, but she nodded.

The group then ventured forward, with the Blaziken dragging the tired Raichu. However, as they reached a clearing, a mysterious fog covered the landscape.

"Stay alert, everyone," the Clefairy cautioned. "This fog is here to protect the spring."

Small footsteps circled around them, then they became louder.

The Moonlight Pokémon closed her eyes and lightly pawed the ground. "I sense two Pokémon, but I cannot tell who they are."

"I got this," Lightning said. As her tail glowed, Blaze was taken aback and immediately let go. She spun around, her tail whipping the fog into a small vortex. In a few seconds, a large clear body of water came into view.

"That...was clever…" Blaze slowly stated. "Even I could not have come up with that strategy."

An elderly voice agreed, "That was indeed clever." The group watched in awe as a Poliwhirl, Ivysaur, and Wartortle approached them. "Welcome to Shizuka Spring, travelers. I am Momo, the elder of Shizuka. My apprentices Swirls and Flower deter unwanted visitors with the fog you encountered. Only those who display intelligence could find me."

The five bowed to the elder. "O Wise Wartortle," Moonflower greeted. "Could you give us your insight about the conflict between the Magma and Spark tribes?"

"You don't have to be so formal. Elder Momo is fine. As for your question, Prism Warrior…" He looked at the surprised Umbreon, then the Blaziken and Raichu. "I am slightly surprised to see two of their members standing peacefully next to each other."

This news then surprised the warriors. "How do you know about this, Elder Momo?" Blaze asked. "I heard you don't leave the forest."

He laughed. "I don't, but I do on rare occasions. Plus, I can see anywhere in Shizuka with the ancient spring. It has the ability to show past, present, and future events."

The Ivysaur nodded, "We also assist Master Momo by visiting Pokémon he saw who need aid. These altruistic actions amplify the verity of the visions."

"Thank you for the explanation, Apprentice Flower. Now, what do you know about the feud, Prism Warrior?"

"I was told that a Corsola influenced both kings and caused them to fight. I want to know more about this Pokémon."

Elder Momo nodded. "Very well. Swirls."

"On it, Master Momo." The two Water types swam to the center of the spring. They aimed two slow moving Water Guns into the treetops, causing a fountain effect.

As Swirls continued spraying, Momo closed his eyes and chanted, "Ancient spirits of Shizuka. Please hear my call and feel the cascade of water entering your realm. I request you show us the events of time's past involving a Corsola and the two tribes."

Once he uttered the last words, the pond briefly glowed white, then colors swirled in the clear waters. Everyone looked into the reflections and saw the two tribes fighting in front of a valley in between two small hills. In the distance was a Pokémon hidden under a black cloak smirking at the chaos.

" _How gullible," the hidden figure muttered in a British accent. "Those fools are so easy to manipulate. All I have to do now is to keep the Corsola in their minds and hearts. Then I can use them to destroy Shizuka so I can claim it for my own."_

Suddenly, the water glowed magenta, disrupting the vision. Everyone frantically looked around until Moonflower noticed a shadow gliding through the trees. She stepped forward and disappeared.

"Wh-Where did Moonflower go?" Moonbeam worriedly asked. Her question was answered by rustling in the tree to their left.

There were sounds of a struggle, then, Moonflower was thrown to the ground. As she slowly got up, the same Pokémon in the reflection appeared before them.

"It has been a long time, Momo..." the Pokémon sneered.

The elder immediately recognized the prideful tone. "Errol...the Winged Sorcerer. So, you've been causing trouble again."

The Noctowl laughed. "Of course. How else will I be able to conquer Shizuka?"

Moonflower growled, "Not if I have anything to say about it." But when she attempted to charge at the Flying type, something around his neck glowed purple. A black light shot out of the purple object and struck the Umbreon.

 _The pain...this is the same sensation after my fight with Blaze and Lightning..._ Her legs buckled as the light left her body. She fell to the ground, causing her to devolve into Buckeye.

"MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Errol laughed. "Now the Prism Warrior can no longer stand in my way. Good luck defeating me with a wimpy fairy, a puffball, a dumb fighter, and a whiny mouse! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He shot a blast of magenta energy at Lightning, then he flew out of the forest and headed south. Though her reflexes were usually sharp, the Raichu was frozen with fear. Before it hit the intended target, Blaze intercepted it and was hit in the chest.

"Buckeye, Blaze! Are you okay?" Moonbeam asked.

Blaze rubbed his chest. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

The Eevee exhaustively muttered, "I-It h-hurts..." The Clefairy gasped when she saw the jewel in her idol's amulet was now dark.

"Quickly!" Elder Momo urgently called. "We need to heal him. Bring him to me."

"Wh-why did you do that?" Lightning asked, dumbfounded her rival's act of selfless bravery.

Blaze softly smiled. "No reason. I thought a warrior of your caliber would be able to dodge that easily."

Lightning looked away, hiding a tear. "Don't remind me..."

Starlight and Moonbeam quickly but gently picked him up and gave him to the Wartortle. Elder Momo then put the weakened Eevee into the spring and chanted, "Ancient spirits of Shizuka. Please hear my call and feel the cascade of water entering your domain. I request your healing magic so that this Eevee's strength can be regained."

The water glowed again, this time yellow. The light then surrounded the Eevee, and he slowly woke up. As the light faded, Buckeye swam back to shore.

"I feel a lot better. Thank you, Elder Momo."

The Wartortle didn't show a smile. "Of course. But now, Errol is more of a danger. The tribes must regain their senses; otherwise that fiend will use his psychic abilities to fully control them."

"Then we'll head out first," Blaze offered. "We can try to buy you some time, Prism Warrior, but I don't know if that'll help."

Buckeye said, "It's worth a try. What do you think, Lightning?"

To everyone's surprise, she replied, "I don't want to be a part of this anymore. I need to help King Charge."

The Prism Warrior pleaded, "Lightning. We need your help."

"I can't! I risked so much to be second-in-command, and I can't give that up. I have to go."

She ran out of the woods, tears streaming down her face. Blaze felt guilty, as he believed his words went too far. "Let me talk to her. Go ahead and try to stop our tribes."

Buckeye nodded. "Okay. Moonbeam and Starlight, stay with Elder Momo."

"But Buckeye!" Moonbeam shouted, startled by his command. "You'll be in danger if you go alone."

"Don't worry, young Clefairy," Elder Momo reassured. "I have an idea on how to stop Errol. You and Starlight can help me gather the ingredients I need."

She was hesitant, but Starlight spoke for the both of them. "All right, we'll do whatever we can to help. We'll join you soon, Buckeye."

He nodded and dashed out of the forest using the main entrance. After the other Pokémon left, Blaze ran through the trail where Lightning broke through. When he reached the forest's edge, he was greeted by a sobbing Raichu.

 _What do I do? Should I talk to her? Apologizing would be a good start. Or maybe asking if she's okay. Yeah, that's a good idea._

"Are you-"

"DON'T TALK TO ME!" she screamed. "I don't want to see you ever again!"

Blaze felt guiltier. "Lightning, I'm sorry. I was teasing; I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Oh sure you were! Do you know how much pain I've been through to be the first female warrior in the Spark tribe?! Or how I've been teased and mocked by the other recruits and instructors?! You don't know how I feel, and I doubt you would. After all, the Magma tribe's so intellectual, they've never experienced emotions or sensations."

"You really think that, huh?" Blaze questioned, trying to keep his anger under control. "Have you even thought about what others feel? That's not the Lightning I respect."

"Since when have you ever respected the enemy?" Lightning spat.

Blaze sat next to her. "I'm going to tell you something I never told to anyone. During my training, I fell in love with someone from your tribe. She was different from the other Pokémon I met. She was kind, enthusiastic, and hard working. I watched her throughout the years, hoping to talk to her. But then she became so busy and focused, she lost some of her traits that made her special. But I still love her, even when I had the courage to speak to her and that girl is rejecting me." Lightning stopped crying, but before she could say anything, Blaze stood up. "Anyway, I just wanted to get that off my chest. Now, I should rejoin the Prism Warrior."

"Wait, Blaze. What you said...is that all true?"

He softly smiled at his crush. "Every word."

Lightning wiped her eyes then confidently replied, "Let's go. We need to clear up this understanding, and they'll listen to both of us."

Blaze nodded and the two ran after their friends.

"I hope I'm not too late!" Buckeye cried as they reached the location seen in the vision. Unfortunately, the two tribe leaders were there, glaring at each other. As they argued, the color of their eyes kept transitioning between black and magenta.

"Leave here, King Charge!" the Magmar roared. "I need to protect my love."

The Electabuzz scoffed. "A likely story. You're only here to hurt my love!"

"That's a lie!"

"No! That's the truth!"

"Please stop!" the Eevee shouted as he stood in between the two rulers.

"It's the Prism Warrior," King Pyro annoyingly responded. "So Blaze failed to defeat you. How dare you interfere in matters that don't concern you!"

Buckeye looked at their eyes and was shocked to see they were becoming blank. But he regained his composure and continued, "It does! You were both tricked by the Pokémon who attacked me!"

"Tricked?" King Charge repeated, then he crossed his arms. "Unlikely! Why should I listen to someone like you? Especially the one who defeated Lightning. Take this!"

The Electabuzz charged his right arm and hurled it at Buckeye. The Prism Warrior nimbly dodged, but was greeted by a charging Magmar. The Fire type smashed him with his fiery fist, knocking him backward. King Charge then shot a bolt of electricity at the warrior, who tumbled backward from the force.

Buckeye began to pant, still tired from the lack of his evolutions _. What can I do now? I can't fight both of them in this state._ He tried to back away but was stopped by a large boulder. He immediately set up a Protect to defend himself against the onslaught of punches, but the shield began to crack after a few minutes. Finally, it shattered, and the Eevee collapsed.

"Let's end this." King Pyro ominously spoke.

King Charge snickered. "For once, I agree."

"King Pyro, stop!"

"Sir, don't hurt the Prism Warrior!"

The three watched Blaze and Lightning run towards them. To the warriors' surprise, their superiors angrily charged their strongest attacks, Thunderbolt and Flamethrower.

"Look out, Blaze and Lightning!" Buckeye warned. "They're not themselves!"

Lightning crouched down. "Blaze, cover me."

"You got it." The Blaziken leaped into the air and unleashed a strong Flamethrower. The three attacks collided, and smoke covered the ground.

Using her tail to sense her surroundings, Lightning ran behind the two rulers and slammed her silver tail into their backs. After being thrust forward, the Magmar and Electabuzz angrily surveyed the smoke, only for Blaze to hit them with Blaze Kick and Fire Punch respectively. The surprise tactic knocked them out, and the air became clear.

Watching from a nearby tree, Ume and Ichigo were disappointed by the turn of events. "Master Errol's going to be upset at how this is turning out," the Minus Pokémon bitterly commented. "Now we take things into our own hands."

"Are you okay, Prism Warrior?" Lightning and Blaze asked as they approached their injured friend.

Buckeye was about to respond when his ears perked up. "Watch out!" Blaze scooped up the Evolution Pokémon, and they avoided a Discharge attack. Unfortunately, the Fire type was struck by a sharp beak, and he dropped the Normal type. Lightning tried to catch him, but Momo pulled her tail and caused her to trip. She tried to stand up, but the Minus Pokémon slammed onto her, making her squeal in pain.

Errol then flew over and lifted the Prism Warrior with his psychic powers. "How predictable, the warriors helping one another. Ume, Ichigo, tie the other two up."

His followers immediately obeyed their leader's instructions and bound Lightning and Blaze to the boulder with a rope.

"Errol, this is pointless!" Blaze cried out. "Why is that land so important to you?"

The Noctowl laughed. "That is none of you concern, peasant. Besides, I have all of the power I need thanks to this weakling of a warrior. Now, how to dispose of you three?"

"How about this?" a voice echoed from the forest.

Suddenly, a bright light temporarily blinded the villains. In that instant, Starlight smacked Errol in the face while Moonbeam carried Buckeye away from the evil bird.

"Why you-!" But Errol was cut off by something tugging at his neck. He immediately used his Confusion attack to stop two vines attempting to rip off his amulet, but didn't expect a Water Gun to his face. This allowed the vines to successfully remove Errol's necklace and give them to Flower, their owner.

"Master Momo, catch!"

"Grab it!" the Owl Pokémon squawked, trying to shake the water from his feathers.

Ume soared towards the accessory but was stopped by a swift Ice Punch from Swirls. Ichigo made a second attempt by grabbing it with two hands. Unfortunately, this made him an easy target for Flower's vines, and he was tied up by the thick vegetation. As the Wartortle grabbed the silver amulet, Errol desperately sped towards him. Buckeye, seeing an opportunity, jumped up with the power of his Quick Attack and slammed into the Flying type's chest.

Taking advantage of the distracted Noctowl, Wartortle threw his foe's amulet onto the ground and smashed it with his foot. "This curse is now lifted!"

"NO!" Errol wailed as the six colors shot out of the purple jewel and entered the jewel of the Prism Warrior's amulet. The crystal glowed in rainbow light, and the colors returned to their original hues. Buckeye took a deep breath, feeling the renewed strength from his evolutions.

"Errol," Buckeye said, taking a step forward. "Give up this prideful ambition and tell us why you tried to destroy the Magma and Spark tribes."

The Owl Pokémon glanced at his opportunities. As Moonbeam freed Blaze and Lightning, Flower, Swirls, and Starlight tied up an exhausted Swellow and Minun. King Pyro and King Charge slowly woke up from their mind control. Elder Momo glared at him, anticipating any deceitful attacks.

Now seeing he was finally defeated, Errol reluctantly explained, "That land is filled with jewels that have the amazing property of absorbing and releasing a Pokémon's energy. With all of those riches, I would be able to control everyone in Shizuka. But then I heard those tribes wanting a permanent home, and this is the only uninhabited land left. I created that Corsola to distract the two kings while I slowly absorbed their willpower. If they were under my control, no one could prevent me from being the ruler of Shizuka."

Lightning stepped towards the defeated Pokémon. "You will never defeat the Pokémon of Shizuka. You tried to tear us apart, but we are stronger if we work together."

King Pyro looked at the Electabuzz. "King Charge, I apologize for starting this feud."

The other ruler shook his head. "We are also equally to blame. Let's work together to fix Shizuka as one."

Elder Momo smiled at this peaceful pact. Then he knelt in front of his longtime foe and hopefully smiled. "Errol, if we join forces as well, we can help Shizuka be stronger. What do you say?"

"Hmph... I'll think about it."

Buckeye chuckled. "At least that's a start. It seems my job here is done."

"Are you leaving already, Buckeye?" Starlight sadly asked.

He nodded. "There are other Pokémon that need my help. But I'll come back if you're one of those Pokémon."

The tribe members bowed to their savior. "Thank you for helping us resolve this meaningless argument." King Pyro humbly replied.

King Charge added, "You will be added as an honorary warrior in my tribe."

Buckeye grinned. "Thank you. But the real heroes are Blaze and Lightning. Without them, I would have never survived."

The rulers looked at their top warriors, who were happily looking at each other's eyes.

"Yes," King Charge agreed. "Their relationship is a symbol of our new unity."

The Prism Warrior then bid his new friends goodbye and ran off into the sunset.

 **Pokémon: Blaze** **(Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls** **(Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning** **(Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower** **(Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What did you think of the performance?

Do you like the concept of the Prism Warrior?


	17. OI 16

**The Prism Warrior, Buckeye, traveled to the land of Shizuka to resolve a conflict between two powerful tribes. Unfortunately it didn't go as smoothly as expected due to Errol the Winged Sorcerer's interference. But with help from his new friends, he was able to stop the villain and restore the relationship between the Magma and Spark tribes. As the festival continues, the competition between the Eevee Showboat and the Qualot Queen has become relatively close. Who will win this year's Showboat Festival?**

 **Chapter 16: Settling the Best Performer**

After the performance concluded, we received a standing ovation and talked with members of the audience. As I watched people fill out the forms and place them into another metal box, Detective Beach approached Daisy, Yuki, and me.

"Excellent show as usual, Daisy," he praised. "It truly fit with the 'unity' theme."

The woman smiled with relief. "Thanks, Yonaha. Are you going to stay for the rest of the festival?"

He sighed. "I wish, but I have some urgent business elsewhere. Good luck, and I know you and your team will win."

After he waved goodbye and left, Daisy looked at the clock over the entrance doors. "Oh, we should get ready for the next show. Summer, why don't you come with me to reorganize the sound booth? Yuki, go ahead and help Will and Marybelle with preparations for the next show."

We nodded and split into our assigned groups. Once we got into the narrow room, we reset the stage lights, and I reorganized the five scripts

 _I can't believe the first show's done. That was pretty fast._ We still had some time to relax, so I drank water from a pitcher Will placed on a table before the show. Daisy stood next to me and drank her special tea from a steel thermos.

"I've been meaning to ask, Daisy. I notice you drink that tea after shows. What's in your tea?"

She smiled after she had another sip. "It's a mixture of herbs and Berries to help soothe the drinker's voice. It works great for singers and actors. Marybelle taught me the recipe."

"She does know a lot about the showboat business, doesn't she?"

Daisy nodded. "Yes, I'm really grateful she taught me a lot about showboat performing. I'm guessing she told you about her history with Dahlia."

"A little… Does Dahlia really hate you because of your background?"

She sighed and brushed her hair with her left hand. "She says that, but I think it's much more than that. Since she's the youngest of her talented showboat family, she had to keep proving her skills to her parents, who were more focused on training her older sister, Peony. Even now, they care more about Peony than her, despite Dahlia's greater popularity."

"Wow, I feel bad for her," I sympathized. "That sounds like a person I know."

Daisy softly smiled. "It's tough to be in entertainment, especially when your family's well known in the showboat world. But I'm grateful my family's not like that. They were happy with me and Yuki's mom, Rose. After we achieved our goals of becoming Top Coordinators, we then turned to our next goals."

"What did Yuki's mom do afterwards?"

But before Daisy could enter, Will, Yuki, and Marybelle entered.

Daisy exclaimed, "Is it time to let the next group in? Well then, let's give them a good time."

We repeated our pre-show roles and began the second show moments later.

 **The next day...**

As a special break, Daisy allowed Yuki and me to enjoy the festival activities before the second show. We feasted on the hot vegetable and beef skewers while our Pokémon ate food made by local chefs.

"So how's the translation app working for you, Yuki?" I asked after taking a bite of a grilled zucchini.

She giggled. "It's still so strange to understand our Pokémon. But I really like it. I feel it's a great tool for Trainers."

We then overheard a conversation between two chatty women.

"The competition this year is so intense."

"Especially between the Qualot Queen and the Eevee Showboat. Those two shows were incredible! Which one did you like better."

"Hmm...I think Dahlia's show was better. Her costumes were beautiful and I liked the story better. But Will's food beat Dominic's, hands down."

"Totally! That sunset cooler was the prettiest thing I'd ever seen! I actually liked Daisy's show better. Hers better stuck with the theme."

"That is true. Oh, we should get to the afternoon showing at the Lotad Pad."

Her friend giggled. "Yeah, I heard their show was great. Let's go."

After they left, Yuki became worried. "It sounds like the Qualot Queen's doing well again. I hope our show is doing well."

I gave her a hopeful smile. "It sounds like it is. We still have five more shows, and we'll make them count."

"You're right. We'll make Daisy happy, for sure!"

We threw our trash away and headed back to the showboat for the next show.

 **The next day...**

As part of the closing ceremony, the showboat crews were invited to sit on a large wooden stage facing an excited crowd. As our team headed for the left side closest to center stage where the sun was starting to set, Dahlia's team ran into us, literally.

"Oh, sorry, Daisy," Dahlia scornfully apologized. "This win will be my crowning jewel over you, and I wanted to make sure I got there first."

Daisy gave an exasperated sigh. "It doesn't matter; we're all supposed to be on stage anyway."

Dahlia ignored her rival's remark and headed to her seat, giving us a dirty look. After Azura followed her boss, Will and a slightly built man with a black pompadour and a large sneer on face shared glances of disdain.

Marybelle sighed. "Come on, Will. If you keep staring at Dominic like that, you'll both turn into stone."

"You heard the old lady, Will," Dominic mocked, his voice like a smooth-talking casanova.

"Ha! At least I respect my elders, Dom." Will lightly retaliated. "Not like when you allowed Dahlia to fire Marybelle."

Dominic gritted his teeth, but was forced to continue walking to his seat. Yuki, Marybelle, and I sat in the back while Daisy and Will sat in front.

Marybelle informed me and Yuki, "Those two have been rivals ever since they were young. Both are skilled in cooking and theater, but they always argued about technique and goals. It really became heated when Will won the Scyther Sushi Cooking Challenge when they were teenagers. It was so close, they had to continue making sushi until one of them stopped."

"You remember all of these things, Marybelle?" I asked, astonished by her knowledge.

"Well," she giggled. "It does help with ideas for teasing and keeping him in check."

Yuki smiled. "Of course!"

The mayor walked on stage and quieted the raucous crowd. "Now then, everyone. I hope you had a good time watching the performances from our talented showboat crews!" After a loud applause, he continued, "My staff have tallied the votes, and the results are within these five envelopes. To make it more fun, I haven't looked at the results after the tabulation. So my reactions may be similar to yours!"

After the crowd laughed, the mayor opened the first white envelope. "The showboat with the best customer experience is the Lotad Pad!" A man with a small green afro and a yellow disco suit walked, or I should say grooved, to the mayor and accepted a wooden trophy with a bronze showboat. He raised it high into the air and whooped, causing the crowd to whoop in return.

"The showboat with the best food is the Culinary Cruise!" Will and Dominic tried to hide their disappointment as a woman with long black hair and a white chef uniform accepted her trophy.

"Now, for the main three awards. For best show, we have the Eevee Showboat!" The crowd happily cheered as Daisy accepted a silver trophy from the mayor.

"The most viewed performance is "The Princesses of Valor" from the Qualot Queen!" Dahlia proudly accepted her trophy as her male admirers shouted with joy.

After the mayor finished clapping, he cleared his throat, and the crowd became silent. "And now, for the best overall experience." He slowly opened the envelope, making all of us nervous, except for Dahlia's team. He read the contents and was stunned. "I-I can't believe it... For the first time in this competition's history, we have a tie!"

Everyone gasped, and Daisy and Dahlia held their breath. The mayor continued, "The showboats that are tied are the Eevee Showboat and the Qualot Queen!" This brought a mixture of anger from Dahlia's fans and confusion from everyone else.

As two members brought out a large white scoreboard with two circles at each end, the mayor said, "Calm down, everyone. We do have a special rule in the event of a tie. Two members of each showboat must battle in a tag team format with Pokémon Contest battle rules. And because this is a festival dedicated to the showboat performance, you the audience will be the judges and decide which combination is more appealing to you. As per the Contest battle rules, this match will have a five-minute time limit. Daisy, Dahlia, please choose which two team members will battle for the gold trophy!"

While the other showboat teams left the stage, the festival staff directed the audience around a large dirt battlefield in front of the stage. The scoreboard lit up, showing the symbols of the Eevee Showboat on the left and the Qualot Queen on the right. Both signs were surrounded by a ring of light; this showed the crowd how Coordinators were faring based on their opponents' combinations, just like during real Contest battles. Daisy gathered us into a huddled and whispered, "So, who wants to battle?"

Will inputted, "You two have the most Contest battling experience, Daisy and Yuki. You should do it."

Yuki was shocked. "M-Me?! But I don't have that much experience."

"You don't know it, Yuki, but you do," Marybelle reassured. "Besides, you're battling with your aunt."

"That's right, Yuki." Daisy patted her niece's shoulder. "I'll be right by your side, and I know you'll be for me too."

I nodded. "You and Daisy will do fine. We'll all be cheering for you."

Yuki was greatly encouraged and smiled. "Thanks, everyone. Come on, Aunt Daisy."

The woman confidently nodded, and she followed Yuki off the stage to the west side of the battlefield. Opposing them were Dahlia and Azura, who appeared equally ready to battle.

The red haired smiled expectantly. "I had a feeling it'll be you two, Daisy. Now I can have the chance to defeat you and your niece at your own game."

Daisy returned the grin, although she chuckled slightly. "We haven't battled before, have we? Don't underestimate me because I haven't been doing Contests for a while."

"All right now," the mayor said, "We'll begin the battle shortly. Contestants, please send out your Pokémon!"

Dahlia smirked as she took out a Safari Ball. "Imperia, show them your power!"

Azura added, "Nuvola, let's show them!"

As the two Dragon types appeared in front Daisy and Yuki, the two took out their Pokéballs.

"Twinberry, time to shine!"

"Momo, let's go!"

The Espeon and Wartortle landed softly on the field, and the two teams glared at each other. Will, Marybelle, and I watched in the front row on Daisy and Yuki's side. I was worried about the outcome, but I knew they were going to be fine no matter what happened.

The mayor looked at the four women and shouted, "All right, everyone! It's time for the first tie-breaker festival battle to begin!"

After the roar of the excited crowd concluded, Dahlia issued the first command. "Imperia, Dragon Rage!"

As the Dragonair charged an orange fireball from her mouth, Azura shouted, "Nuvola, Dragonbreath!"

The two Dragon type moves combined to form a comet with orange and light green streaks, wowing the crowd it hurled towards their opponents. This caused Daisy and Yuki's points to slightly decrease.

Yuki looked at her aunt with wide eyes, unsure of what to do. Daisy said, "Yuki, follow my lead." She then nodded to Twinberry, whose eyes began to glow blue.

Seeing what Daisy was planning, Yuki commanded, "Momo, Water Gun!"

He shot a strong stream of water, and the Sun Pokémon took control of it with her blue glare. The stream instantly turned into a raging whirlpool that collided with the falling meteor, which not only extinguished the flames, it also created a steam cloud filled with light blue, orange and green sparkles. As the crowd excitedly clapped at the wonderful combination, Dahlia and Azura's points decreased a quarter.

Dahlia, though frustrated, scoffed, "Is that the best you got? Azura, let's use that plan."

The younger girl nodded. "You got it, Dahlia. Nuvola, Aerial Ace on Momo!"

The Altaria swooped down and charged at the Water type in a white light. Daisy, sensing Yuki's slow reaction, quickly shouted, "Twinberry, stop Nuvola with Confusion!"

The Espeon's eyes glowed blue once more, this time surrounding the Humming Pokémon and causing the Altaria to be thrown backwards. However, this was only a distraction.

Dahlia laughed and gleefully shouted, "Imperia, use Thunderbolt on Momo!"

The slender Pokémon's orb around her neck glowed yellow and released a yellow thunderbolt at the Wartortle.

Yuki, realizing she was going to be in trouble, told her Pokémon, "Momo, use Rapid Spin!"

Before the super effective attack reached him, he retreated into his shell and spun around. Although it created a temporary barrier around the Wartortle, the attack was inadvertently redirected to Twinberry. Daisy and Yuki were shocked as the Psychic type was weakened by the friendly fire. This made our showboat's points drop to half as the crowd marveled at Dahlia's strategy.

"Oh no!" I gasped. "I hope Twinberry's okay."

To my surprise, Will and Marybelle didn't look worried. "Twinberry's fine," Will reassured. "She and Dahlia have been through a lot of battles, so they're used to unusual circumstances like this."

"I-I'm so sorry, Aunt Daisy!" Yuki apologized as Momo popped out of his shell and followed his Trainer's actions to Twinberry.

Dahlia expected a scolding from her rival, but to her disappointment, Daisy calmly responded, "It's okay, Yuki. I know it wasn't your fault. Why don't we try something else?"

"Do we have enough time?" the Sinnoh native asked. I looked up and saw it was the halfway point.

"There's always enough time. Twinberry, use Psybeam on Imperia!"

The Sun Pokémon jumped up and released a purple beam with several white rings from her forehead.

Azura went on the defensive. "Nuvola, use Protect!"

The Altaria flew in front of Imperia and created the protective light blue barrier. The crowd was amazed as the rings dissipated as they hit the Protect, causing Daisy and Yuki's points to fall slightly.

Yuki, seeing what her aunt was doing, commanded, "Momo, Blizzard!"

Daisy nodded and told her Pokémon, "Control that Blizzard with Confusion!"

This time, the girls from the Qualot Queen were astonished as Twinberry was able to redirect the Blizzard around the circular barrier. The Dragon types shivered as the super effective attack surrounded them, causing Dahlia and Azura's points to drop a quarter as the crowd cheered.

The mayor informed, "We are now down to the last thirty seconds! Ladies, make this last round count!"

Dahlia growled, "You won't get away with this! Imperia, Iron Tail on Twinberry!"

"Momo, counter with Aqua Tail!"

As the Pokémon leapt at each other with their charged tails, Azura shouted, "Nuvola, Mist!"

"I don't think so!" Daisy countered. "Twinberry, Confusion!"

Azura became more upset as her move was once again manipulated by the psychic energy. The fog swirled around Momo, highlighting his light blue tail. The tails collided and steam hissed out from the friction of the Steel type move. An explosion of boiling water sprayed over the field, with Nuvola taking some damage while Twinberry protected herself by moving the hot liquid away from her.

"And time!" Everyone looked at the scoreboard and saw, to the narrowest of margins, Daisy and Yuki had more points. The mayor joyfully announced, "After a fierce battle, the winners of the match and the best overall performance category goes to the members of the Eevee Showboat!"

The crowded roared its approval as Will, Marybelle, and I happily ran to the stunned Daisy and Yuki.

"You two did it!" Will congratulated. "That was an impressive battle."

Marybelle cheekily grinned. "Well done, ladies. I haven't felt suspense since the awards ceremony earlier."

We all laughed, then the mayor handed Daisy a gold trophy. "Let's give a hand to our winners!" The clapping was almost as loud as the audiences during the Indigo League. Dahlia, upset at the loss, stormed off, with Azura and Dominic mimicking their leader's emotion.

"That was a great battle!" I complimented, and the two family members smiled at each other.

Daisy rewarded us with a big hug. "Thank you for all your help. Without everyone, this wouldn't have even happened."

Afterwards, we signed autographs for the fans and returned to the boat, exhausted from the performances, ceremony, and battle.

 **The next day...**

"All right, everyone. Let's set sail!" Daisy called. Will, who was in the wheelhouse, acknowledged her words with a wave and started the boat's motor.

But as we left the pier, a familiar boat left at the same time. "Don't get comfortable, Daisy!" Dahlia roared. "I'll beat you next year!"

Daisy smiled, but it didn't share the same sentiment. "We'll see, Dahlia."

Azura and Yuki saw each other, but they averted their gazes.

 _Wow, who knew rivalries were so complicated?_

 **Pokémon: Blaze** **(Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls** **(Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning** **(Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower** **(Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What did you think of the awards ceremony?

How was the tiebreaker battle?

What do you think about Daisy's rivalry with Dahlia?


	18. OI 17

**After performing nine shows for the Moro Island Showboat Festival, the main prize, best overall performance, came down to the Eevee Showboat and the Qualot Queen. Daisy and Yuki fought a difficult battle against Dahlia and Azura, but the former pair came out on top, sealing the team with the main prize and the best show award. The crew has now arrived at South Mandarin Island for several shows in the capital, Trovitopolis. They meet several famous people, but Summer and Yuki realize not everything is well defined. What will happen that changes their minds?**

 **Chapter 17: Mayor Issues**

After our exciting wins at the Moro Island Showboat Festival, we arrived at Trovitopolis on South Mandarin Island for the next set of shows. As a reward for our hard work, Daisy treated us to a special dinner at the Pie Plant, a slightly more upscale restaurant that specializes in various varieties of pies.

I happily ate my chicken pot pie, which was filled with large chunks of meat and fresh vegetables and topped with a flaky golden brown crust. Yuki feasted on lovely yellow quiche with potatoes, peppers, and diced ham, Will devoured a large shepherd's pie with plenty of stewed meat and mashed potatoes, and Daisy and Marybelle shared a medium-sized pizza topped with Pinap Berries and shaved MooMoo Milk cheese.

Before we cut up our dessert, a Mago and Nomel Berry meringue pie, Daisy proposed a toast. "I want to thank everyone for working hard with the festival this year. Let's do our best to finish the season strong!"

We cheered and clinked glasses. After we sipped our apple cider from our glasses, there was a small commotion by the entrance.

"It's Benny Naranja!"

"THE Benny Naranja?! The one who owns the largest chain of hotels on the Orange Islands?"

"Yeah, he's been the top businessman on the islands ten years running, and he's still quite young!"

The tapping sound of expensive shoes approached us, and standing before us was a well-built man with wavy brown hair and dark brown eyes. He wore a hand tailored black suit made of Mareep wool and an orange tie.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but are you the crew of the Eevee Showboat?" he asked. His voice was very pleasing and his manners very proper. "I am a fan of your performances. I hope I can see your show while I'm staying here."

Daisy smiled at the compliment. "Thank you, sir. We look forward to having you on our ship."

He deeply bowed and walked away, allowing us to finish our dessert and retire to the ship.

* * *

Magma and Terra slowly entered their small apartment located in the center of Trovitopolis. Both were dressed in business casual clothing: the former wearing a white shirt and black slacks and the latter in a green blouse and black knee-length skirt. As the boy unbuttoned the top of his shirt, Terra eagerly removed her black heels.

"Ugh," she complained. "Why do people expect women to wear these kinds of shoes for work?!"

He smirked. "I could say the same thing for my clothes. Did you find anything useful?"

She grumbled, "No...and we've been doing this for a week now! She's been having trouble finding it since she started work a few years ago. The boss is going to be so upset…"

"We'll, tomorrow's another day. We'll look somewhere else in the building."

The girl went into her room to change while the red-haired teenager looked at his Pokégear. "Hey, Terra. Looks like the Top Orange is on the island. We need to implement Plan AA."

She laughed. "Alright. This should make things much easier."

Magma smirked. _You read my mind…_

* * *

The next morning, Lightning and I walked around the auditorium to fix any squeaky seats. As I oiled those noisy hinges, Lightning tested each chair with her tail.

"You and Blaze did really well in the _Prism Warrior_ show, Lightning," I praised.

She rubbed the back of her head. "Thanks, Summer. It was really fun!"

I smirked, slightly unnerving the Raichu. "Although Will and I spoke the lines, you too had good chemistry."

She blushed and turned her head away. "S-So? I was just...feeding off your emotions from the dialogue. Yeah, that's it."

I chuckled and rubbed her head. "I'm kidding. Besides, that was one of the main highlights of the show."

After she playfully pushed me, Daisy and Twinberry walked into the room. "Summer, I have great news! The mayor of Trovitopolis wants to meet us at City Hall."

"Cool! When are we leaving?"

"Right now. Come on, everyone's waiting."

I got up, put down the oil can, and we joined Yuki, Will, and Marybelle on the dock. After a brisk fifteen-minute walk, we approached a large rectangular building with a gray glass dome. A woman wearing a black blazer and orange skirt awaited our arrival.

"Welcome to Trovitopolis," she greeted with a deep bow. "I am Sheila, Mayor Grover's personal assistant. I will be giving you a tour of the building, then I will take you to the mayor's office."

We all bowed back. "Thank you," Daisy replied. We walked inside and meandered through long white hallways.

While I looked at the portraits framed in one of the hallways, one of them caught my eye. It was a picture of Benny Naranja, although he looked much younger. He looked happy and eager to make a difference.

"Excuse me, Sheila," I politely interrupted. "Is this Benny Naranja?"

With a quick glance, she answered, "Yes that is. He was one of our most valued interns twenty years ago, and he routinely donates to our charities. His father used to work in this building as a councilman."

A teenage girl wearing a green blouse and black skirt marched towards us. Though it was faint, I thought her smile slightly faltered.

"Ah. Everyone, this is Tina," Sheila introduced. "She's one of our new interns."

"Hi everyone," she warmly greeted.

 _Her voice... It sounds familiar…_

But before I could think about it more, the assistant directed us to another part of the building. Twenty minutes later, we arrived in front of a large oak door. After Sheila knocked, she guided us into a large room with green tapestry and light green carpet. A mahogany desk was in the center, and a man about the age of sixty sat behind it in a cushioned chair. His white hair and light blue eyes pleasantly contrasted with his dark blue tie.

He stood up, showing more of his gray suit. "Welcome to City Hall," he cheerfully welcomed with a slight warble in his voice. "I am Mayor Elmer Grover. I am so pleased you can come visit on such short notice. Please, have a seat."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. A teenage boy in a white suit and black slacks, most likely another intern, slowly opened the door. He looked familiar too, especially the slicked red hair.

"Mayor Grover," he said. "Sorry to interrupt, but the children from Trovitopolis Hospital are here for their visit."

"Oh, I thought they were coming this afternoon." When the intern shook his head, the mayor sighed. "I apologize, Daisy. I must've gotten my appointments mixed up."

Daisy gave an understanding smile. "Why don't my crew come surprise them? Yuki, Summer. You can go ahead and explore the city. I'll call you when we're done."

The mayor agreed. "That sounds like a fine idea. Sheila, can you escort the girls outside?"

"Of course, sir." We then split onto the two groups and left the room separately.

As Sheila guided us to the elevator, I felt an overwhelming sense of uneasiness.

Yuki noticed my expression. "What is it, Summer?" she whispered.

"I don't know. I just feel something's wrong." A green object suddenly caught my eye, and the sound of a Pokéball echoed through the quiet corridor.

A large brown Pokémon with scaled plates, flat ears, and red eyes slammed onto the floor. A small baby popped out of a pouch located at her stomach. I was amazed the building was able to support her height and weight.

[Kangaskhan, the Parent Pokémon. If you come across a young Kangaskhan, never try to catch it. The baby's parent is sure to be in the area, and it will become violently enraged.]

Sheila's calm demeanor immediately changed ,and she glared at us. Yuki, our Pokémon, and I, no longer surprised by such turn of events, braced for an attack.

"Kia, Mega Punch." The Normal type lunged forward, her right fist glowing white.

I then formed a fist of my own. "Lightning, dodge and use Thunder Punch!"

"Ichigo, Helping Hand!" Yuki assisted.

As the Minun clapped his hands and danced, the Raichu patiently waited for the right time to strike. The Parent Pokémon aimed her attack downward, allowing the Mouse Pokémon to jump over and slam an electrified fist into Kia's face. The larger Pokémon stumbled back but regained her footing.

Sheila chuckled. "So you're as strong as Magma and Terra said. What a shame you don't follow our values."

"So you're a member of OIATO too?!" I questioned. "Why are you here?"

"None of your concern. Kia, Flamethrower."

"Quick, Summer!" Yuki whispered. "Through that door!"

I took a quick look at the sign of the door that read "Emergency Exit". _Wow, that's convenient._

I aggressively pushed the door bar handle, and the emergency alarm rang through the hallway. Ignoring the annoying sound blaring into our ears, we narrowly missed the searing flames. We ran down the stairs, but I didn't hear anyone chasing us.

 _Something's not right…_ "Yuki, let's go to the first floor. Everyone else might be in danger."

She nodded. "Okay, I'll be right behind you."

Through the noisy alarm, we silently walked downstairs, intently listening for different sounds. After touching the bottom of the stairway, we slowly opened the exit door and saw two familiar people in the lobby.

"Oh, look who finally showed up," Terra scoffed as she adjusted her gloves.

Magma ruffled his slicked hair, returning it to its natural spikiness.

"How did you get in here?" Yuki inquired.

Then it hit me. "I knew it," I concluded. "You two have been undercover as interns. And you must be assisting Sheila. Why are you here?"

Terra frowned. "How did you know that?!"

Magma sighed. "It doesn't matter now. Mercury, Twineedle!"

The Poison Bee Pokémon emerged from his Trainer's Pokéball and dove at us. We split up to dodge the large stingers; I landed on the tiles as Yuki slid onto a lounge table by the middle hallway.

"Yuki," I asked. "Can you handle Magma?"

She looked at me confidently. "Yes. I have to now."

Understanding what she meant, I motioned to Lightning with my head and we ran outside. "Bet you can't catch me, Terra!"

"Why you little punk!" She and chased after us through the double doors.

Despite it being strange there were no police officers or cars around, there a wide enough space for a battle.

Terra took two Pokéballs from her belt. "Marowak, Corsola, let's go!"

The Bone Pokémon and the pink and white coral Pokémon softly landed on the asphalt.

[Corsola, the Coral Pokémon. Corsola live in warm southern seas. If the sea becomes polluted, the beautiful coral stalks become discolored and crumble away in tatters.]

I took out two Pokéballs of my own. "Rocky, Flower, I need your help!"

The Ivysaur squarely landed while the Onix made the ground slightly shake. Luckily, the road didn't break from the additional weight.

Terra laughed. "Why would you choose your Onix? Are you losing your touch?"

"That girl's getting on my nerves," Rocky growled. Flower nodded and was more determined to win.

I smirked. "Why don't you wait until the battle's over?"

"Fine then. Marowak, Bonemerang! Corsola, Bubblebeam on Rocky!"

"Rocky, use Dragonbreath! Flower, use Sludge Bomb!

The Ground type hurled his bone at Flower while the stream of bubbles and green flames collided in mid air. The Seed Pokémon spat a purple orb of sludge at the incoming bone, slowing its movement. But, it still made contact with Flower's chin and Rocky's body then narrowly dodging Marowak's partner. He caught it and once he safely jumped over Corsola, he swung the bone higher towards Rocky's face.

Seeing that Rocky was intently staring at the object hurtling towards him, I shouted, "Grab that bone with Crunch!"

Terra was shocked. "Don't you dare! Corsola, Water Pulse!"

I countered, "Flower, Razor Leaf!"

As the Rock type opened his mouth to capture the flying object, the sharp leaves cut through the orb of water, splashing Terra and her Pokémon. Then the super effective attack whizzed through Marowak and Corsola, causing the latter to tip over, unable to move. Like a Growlithe playing fetch, Rocky clamped onto Marowak's bone, rendering the owner unable to attack further.

Terra was furious as Flower grabbed the bone from Rocky's mouth and threw it back at its user, knocking him out as well. "How did you come up with a strategy like that?! You're not that smart!"

Insult aside, I replied, "I've been training. Now, tell me why you're here."

The girl snickered. "Why should I? You don't understand why we do these things."

"Then help me understand," I pleaded. "Is there a personal reason why you're involved with OIATO?"

Terra looked away. "Has your childhood home been taken away, demolished to become a new hotel for one of the top developers in the archipelago? All my life, I've heard 'progress is what makes the world go round'. But all it does is hurt those that have lived in those areas, forcing them to leave or even work for the people who caused them to leave in the first place! The only thing that's been keeping me going is being a part of OIATO. I want to destroy whoever's involved with the hotel industry, to show them how it feels to have the things you've known be stripped from you."

As she clenched her fists, I solemnly replied, "I don't know how that feels, and I'm sorry you had to go through that. But is this really the best way? I've been through incidents where I've stopped criminals just by helping the Rangers and police."

Curiously, Terra chuckled. "I never trust the police. They were working with that hotel developer..."

But before I could further explain, Sheila and Magma ran outside. "We got what we came for," the older woman informed. "Let's go."

Terra returned her Pokémon and threw a smoke ball at the ground. I coughed from inhaling the black cloud, and when it dissipated, the OIATO members were nowhere to be found.

"Summer!" Daisy shouted as the crew and Yuki ran towards me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I calmly replied as I returned Rocky and Flower. To my surprise, Yuki hugged me, and I thought I felt something wet touch my shoulder. "What happened to you and the mayor?"

"I felt something was suspicious, and when that intern wasn't looking, we were able to find an unoccupied room. But he didn't seem to notice we were gone. After the coast was clear, Mayor Grover went to check on something. The rest of us in the building got out after the alarms stopped ringing."

Now that she mentioned it, the only sounds I heard were the sirens of approaching police cars. Detective Beach emerged from one of them and sighed when he saw us. "You two must really attract OIATO incidents, don't you?"

I casually shrugged. "I guess so."

The man chuckled. "Well, I need to take each of your statements at the precinct. It shouldn't take too long."

"Oh no!" someone faintly shouted. We turned to City Hall and saw Mayor Grover run out, devastated. "I've been robbed! Those OIATO thugs must've stolen it!"

"One more statement that needs to be taken. Okay, let's head over to the police station."

The men in blue escorted us into three vehicles, and we spent the rest of the day giving our statements.

* * *

"All that work slaving for that boring mayor has paid off," Sheila gloated as she and the two teenagers stared at a small golden key.

Terra however, roared, "All that work for a key?!"

Magma asked the logical question, "What does the key open?"

The woman snickered. "Once we give it to the boss, you'll see."

 **Pokémon: Blaze** **(Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls** **(Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning** **(Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower** **(Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What is the importance of the key?

Was Yuki able to confront Magma about his reasoning for being in OIATO?


	19. OI 18

**After their wins at the Showboat Festival, the crew of the Eevee Showboat was invited to see the mayor of Trovitopolis on South Mandarin Island. Unfortunately, the members of OIATO interrupted the happy occasion and made off with a valuable item. Summer and Yuki, taking a break from work on the showboat, travel to Trovita Island for the former's next Gym battle. Both meet the Gym Leader early on, but he seems to have something against Summer. Why is he mean to her, and will Summer be able to defeat his unorthodox strategy?**

 **Chapter 18- Beauty and the Jerk**

Yuki and I sailed on Edelweiss to the nearby Trovita Island for my next Gym battle. Despite me asking the crew to come, they said they had to prepare for a special show on Ascorbia Island.

"How come Daisy doesn't want to sail to this island?" I asked my friend. "I've read that it's popular, and the Gym is there too."

Yuki didn't answer right away. She kept looking at the bobbing waves and touching something in her hair. Only when I tapped on her shoulder did she respond, "Oh, sorry Summer. It's difficult for large boats to enter the dock because of the natural whirlpools and jagged rocks. People usually fly or surf to the island on Pokémon."

I was worried. "Yuki. You've been really quiet since we left South Mandarin Island. Did something happen when you were battling Magma?"

She sighed, but didn't elaborate. Our eyes then caught an island surrounded by large brown rocks, a ring of towering rocks surrounding a large cylindrical rock at the eastern edge. Behind the rocks were small whirlpools that circled clockwise; although they looked harmless, the waves churned violently due to the sheer numbers.

Edelweiss sung her song, and a light blue barrier surrounded us. "Hold on girls." She swiftly swam through the rocks and whirlpools without being affected by their pull and stopped at a small dock where the water was calm.

"Thank you, Edelweiss," we chimed. She nodded in respect as Yuki returned her.

Yuki looked at a sign. "It says the Gym is located to the east."

"That makes sense since those rocks kind of looked like a battlefield. Let's find the Pokémon Center first."

"Sounds good. It's in the center of town."

We walked inland and saw small shops lined along a main street with houses made of wood and brick lined behind them. It wasn't too busy despite it being late morning.

Suddenly, a black-eyed girl about the age of five with short auburn hair shouted, "Rina, come back!"

I froze in fear as a Vulpix sprinted towards us. "No way!" the Fox Pokémon protested playfully. She then jumped onto Yuki, who immediately tried to contain the energetic Fire type.

As I slowly moved away from the two, my hands in front of me, I bumped into something hard. I instinctively jumped forward and turned around. It was a young man also with auburn hair and black eyes. He wore a black shirt covered by a white vest and brown slacks, and his hair was parted by two bangs.

He scoffed at me and walked over to my friend, who finally clutched onto Rina tightly. "I'll take Rina," he offered. His voice was a cross between a gentleman and a nail on a chalkboard. He then looked at the girl. "Mahri, I told you to keep an eye on Rina."

The younger one pouted, "I tried to, Big Brother, but she kept running off!"

He sighed. "I guess she needs some obedience training." He then looked at Yuki with a glint in his eyes. "And who's the beautiful young lady that helped my sister?"

Yuki was slightly taken aback. "Oh, my name is Yuki Mizu."

He knelt down and took out a red rose from inside his vest. "Ah, I had a feeling that was you, young Coordinator. I am a big fan of your performances. Take this rose as a symbol of friendship."

She didn't take the gift and nervously replied, "Thank you, but I don't know who you are, sir."

He got up and chuckled. "My apologies. I am Rudy, the Trovita Island Gym Leader."

"Oh! My friend is planning to challenge your Gym."

He glanced at me then continued talking to Yuki, "I hope you have another friend who is challenging me."

I rolled my eyes. Mahri looked at me and gasped, "You're Summer Scorcher! I can't believe I'm seeing a Top 8 Trainer in person!"

Rudy sneered, "Don't be so excited, Mahri. She's not as good as her reputation states."

"Oh come on, Big Brother! Just because he said so doesn't mean it's true."

 _He?_

He crossed his arms and stated, "Fine then. I'll accept your challenge, Summer, only if you complete a simple test. Ms. Yuki, you can stay at the Gym and relax."

To his surprise, Yuki shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, but I want to see my friend compete."

"All right." He guided us along the west path, where a wide canyon carved by a river and a speedboat awaited us. "Your test is this. We'll travel along the Trovita River, where random targets will pop out. You have to hit all the targets with up to three Pokémon, though I doubt you'll be able to pass even with the maximum amount of Pokémon."

Errol angrily released himself from his Pokéball. "I abhor that condescending remark! Ms. Summer, allow me to participate in this challenge. I will obliterate all of those targets!"

I smirked. "I was going to choose you anyway, Errol, so I'm glad you want to help." I took out two other Pokéballs and tossed them into the air. Swirls and Flower glared at the Gym Leader, but he just played with his hair.

Flower, Swirls, and I got in first, then Yuki, Mahri, and Rudy. It was a surprisingly spacious and sturdy boat, and I was able to move in between the Grass and Water types. After I got into a comfortable position, I turned around and saw Rudy trying to woo Yuki with a light blue origami Dragonair.

"An elegant lady such as yourself deserves a gift as elegant as her," he poetically said.

Yuki awkwardly chuckled and slowly inched away from him.

"Aren't we going to start?" I interrupted, annoyed by his lack of focus.

Mahri gave her brother a pouted look. "Yeah, Big Brother! You're a Gym Leader after all."

"Fine… Ready set go!" he quickly yelled, starting the boat abruptly.

I stumbled from the sudden burst of speed, but Flower grabbed a hold of me with her vines. After a nod of thanks, the first two targets appeared to the right on the rocks.

"Swirls, Water Gun! Flower, Razor Leaf!" With quick aim, both Pokémon struck their targets, knocking them back.

Rudy scoffed. "Not bad. But what about this?"

As three more targets appeared, one on a tree on the right and two at the outcrop on the left, I felt the boat speeding up. The increased speed forced the female Pokémon to focus on maintaining their balance.

 _Hey, that's not fair!_

Errol saw my anger and growled, "Allow me, Ms. Summer." His eyes glowed magenta and with a swipe of his psychic powers, the targets were obliterated.

As we passed by more targets, Errol smashed through each one with no effort. Once the girls got their footing, they assisted the Flying type with knocking down the targets. After ten minutes, we returned to the dock and disembarked.

"Great job, everyone," I praised my team. "Thanks for your help."

Errol landed on the ground and proclaimed, "That is what jerks receive."

"That was the first time you said 'jerk' Errol dude," Swirls remarked, "Are you expanding your lingo?"

This ruffled his feathers. "I am not! I was emulating you, Ms. Swirls. That was all."

We laughed and I returned them. I turned to Rudy, who for a change, was not flirting with Yuki.

"Your Pokémon do have skills," he said. "Although I can't say about you." He then turned to Yuki and offered his hand. "Would you care to join me and Mahri for dinner? I can make whatever your heart desires."

This was the last straw for Yuki. "I'm sorry, Rudy. You seem nice, but I don't like the way you're treating my friend. So no, I don't want to have dinner with you. Although I'll eat with Mahri."

The younger girl cheered. "Yay! I want to have dinner with you too, Summer!"

I smiled. "Sure, Mahri."

Rudy was pretty upset but regained his composure. "Very well. Since you passed the test, Summer, I accept your challenge. We will have a best two out of three singles battle on the battlefield behind the Gym. The Pokémon we choose will be of the same type. So which types do you pick?"

Without hesitation, I replied, "Grass, Water, and Fighting."

He slightly looked down. "Interesting. I'll keep that in mind. Just have Mahri home by 8." Without looking at us, he returned to town.

Mahri grabbed our hands. "Don't worry about my brother, he'll be fine. Now come on! There's a Slashing Sushi Bar here that also serves delicious ramen and udon. It'll be great because Yuki likes sushi, Summer likes noodles, and I like both!"

We giggled and Yuki replied, "All right. Let's go!"

* * *

At the Trovita Island Gym, Rudy stood over the stove in the building's large yellow tiled kitchen. He silently watched the dehydrated square of ramen in a steel pot expand and break apart. As he stirred the cooking noodles with a pair of chopsticks, he thought to himself, _I underestimated her. Tomorrow will definitely be interesting._

After he opened the favoring packet and added it, along with a chopped hard-boiled egg, warmed pork, and bean sprouts into the pot, his videophone rang. Turning off the burner, he let the soup simmer as he walked up to the device sitting on his granite countertop island.

When he picked up the receiver, his friend appeared on screen. "Well, well, well…" Rudy greeted with a smirk. "If it isn't Stanley Leland! I thought you're under house arrest."

Stanley groaned, {I'm not, but Dad's enforcing it.}

"I'm guessing you're calling about Summer Scorcher."

The younger boy sneered. {You know me too well. Did she fail your test and embarrass herself?}

Rudy carried the pot over to the counter and sat down. "Actually, she passed the test, even when I made it harder."

This made Stanley very upset. {She's not that good! She doesn't have a battling lineage, and she got me suspended! What does my half-brother see in her?}

The Gym Leader shrugged as he ate a chopstick-full of ramen. "Why don't you ask him? And wasn't it Red who got you suspended?"

{Don't talk about him in front of me!} the older Leland boy hissed. {Weldon isn't worth a conversation with.}

"Why are you being so mean to your half-brother? At least he's challenging Red."

Stanley turned away. {I'm afraid that's a family matter, Rudy. Why don't we talk about your battle strategy against Summer instead?}

Rudy sighed at his stubborn friend. "All right. Here's what I have..."

* * *

Mahri, Yuki, and I walked around the town, eating strawberry, green tea, and chocolate ice cream.

"Thank you for paying for the dinner, Yuki! And thank you for buying me dessert and breakfast, Summer!" Mahri contently said as she lightly swung an orange paper bag filled with sweet buns and miso soup.

Yuki giggled. "Thank for being such a wonderful tour guide." The little girl beamed with pride.

Although I was having a great time, I couldn't help thinking about the upcoming battle.

"Is Summer okay?" Mahri worriedly asked.

"Don't worry, Mahri," Yuki calmly replied. "She's like that before a Gym battle."

"Ooh...I want to help!" Mahri enthusiastically offered. "I know all of Big Brother's Pokémon and his unique battle strategy!"

I pondered her words, then I replied, "Sure, Mahri. I'm happy you can help."

After excitedly jumping for joy, we found a metal green bench near a fountain in a nearby park. I sat in between the two, with Mahri on my left and Yuki on my right.

Yuki took out her light blue Pokémon brush. "If it's okay with you, Summer, I'm going to brush my Pokémon. Do any of your Pokémon need brushing?"

"Hm...maybe Lightning and Errol. Rocky also needs some grooming, but I don't know if you want to do him too."

Yuki laughed. "I can certainly try! If that doesn't work, I'm sure he'll like the fresh air."

"True!" I let out the three Pokémon, who were happy to get some grooming time. I then turned to Mahri, who was impatiently waiting for me to finish.

Her eyes lit up as she started her explanation. "Okay, you're going to use Flower, Swirls, and Blaze, right?" After I nodded, she continued, "Big Brother will most likely use Hula the Exeggutor, Waltz the Starmie, and Taebo the Hitmonchan."

"Hm...I've never seen an Exeggutor before. Let me look at my Pokédex." I took the device and searched the name. The picture of a weird Pokémon with six egg-shaped faces, a brown trunk-like body, and palm leaves appeared on the screen.

[Exeggutor, the Coconut Pokémon and the evolved form of Exeggcute. Originally from the tropics, Exeggutor's heads grow larger from exposure to strong sunlight. It is said that when the head fall, they group to form an Exeggcute.]

"That entry was weird... Anyway, Flower will have the biggest disadvantage. She can't use Leech Seed and Sleep Powder, plus Exeggutor are half Psychic type, if I remember."

"But remember, Summer! It's best out of three! So if Flower loses, you still have Swirls and Blaze."

I smiled at the girl's natural optimism. "That's true. You mentioned Rudy has an unusual strategy?"

"Mhm. He used to be a dancer before he became a Gym Leader, so he gives all of his Pokémon dancing lessons. Because of that, Trainers have trouble landing hits."

"I see. Then my training with Yuki should help."

"You can battle like a Coordinator?!" Mahri gasped. "I want to see it! Why does the battle have to be tomorrow?"

Yuki and I laughed as the girl pouted. "Well at least it's tomorrow. Let's get some rest."

My friend looked at her Pokégear. "Yeah, it's almost 8. I'll walk Mahri home. I'll meet you at the Pokémon Center, Summer."

I waved goodbye as Yuki gently clutched Mahri's left hand. "Okay, see you tomorrow, Mahri!"

"Bye, Summer!"

She and Yuki walked towards the Gym while I got up and walked to the Pokémon Center, thinking about tomorrow.

* * *

"Big Brother!" Mahri squealed as she ran into her brother's open arms.

He lifted her up as a big smile spread over his face. "I guess you had a good time! Go ahead and get ready for bed."

She nodded and waved goodbye to her new friend. After Yuki waved back, she turned around to head back to town.

"Yuki, can I talk to you for a minute?" Rudy asked. She was reluctant, but he continued, "I just want to explain my behavior today."

She huffed, "Fine. I'm listening."

"I was giving Summer another test. This one was to see if what my friend said about her was true."

"And...?"

Rudy laughed. "She passed, with flying colors. And I'm glad she did. I do admire her skills, and I won't go easy on her tomorrow."

Yuki gave a laugh in return. "She'll be glad to hear that."

But Rudy responded, "If it's all right with you, Yuki, I want to continue this charade to see her character. Once the battle's over, I'll apologize to her myself."

The girl nodded. "Okay. See you tomorrow, Rudy."

The exchanged goodbyes, and Yuki rejoined her friend at the Pokémon Center.

* * *

 **The next day...**

Yuki, Ichigo, Lightning, and I hiked towards the Trovita Island Gym. The walk was a slight incline, and at the end, a dark blue castle-like building at the edge. Outside, Rudy and Mahri were waiting for us.

"I'm glad you're here!" Mahri cheerfully waved. We laughed as she did the same gesture to Lightning and Ichigo.

"So, Summer," Rudy asked. "Are you ready for our battle?"

"Yeah. Are we battling on that outcrop behind your Gym?"

He nodded. "It's the perfect environment for all types of Pokémon."

I gulped. _Darn my fear of heights._

The Gym Leader saw my pained expression and reassured, "The winds here are very gentle, so there shouldn't be any chances of falling off. But that shouldn't be your biggest challenge. Now, let's head to the battlefield."

Rudy and Mahri led us through the building to the outdoor area. The rocky battlefield looked much larger than when we saw it yesterday, but it was suitable to handle even the tallest or heaviest Pokémon. I didn't see a way to enter until I heard a whistle. One of Rudy's assistants, a teenager in a yellow T-shirt and green shorts, guided us into a yellow and red-striped hot air balloon. We soared into the air, then the assistant landed on the field and allowed me and Rudy to disembark and walk to our respective sides. The balloon floated back into the air to provide a special viewing platform for the Yuki, Ichigo, and Mahri.

As I stood on the south side and faced Rudy, the assistant shouted with a microphone in his hands. This match will be a best two out of three singles battle between Summer Scorcher and Rudy. As stated by the challenger, the matches will consist of Grass, Water, and Fighting types. The challenger will have the first move. Do you agree to these rules, Summer?"

I nodded and took out my first Pokéball. "Let's go, Flower!"

The Ivysaur stomped onto the rock, ready for a challenge.

Rudy threw his Pokéball into the air. "Hula, let's give them a show!" The Coconut Pokémon happily stomped around after being released from her Pokéball.

The assistant looked at us and shouted, "Battle begin!"

I need to be smart with my attacking moves. "Flower, Sludge Bomb!"

The Gym Leader laughed. "Starting off with the super effective move, huh?" He snapped his fingers with his right hand. "Hula, dodge!"

Surprisingly graceful for a lumbering Pokémon, Hula easily twirled to the left. The Poison type attack whizzed past her, slightly unnerving me and Flower.

 _His dance evasion strategy is pretty good! I need to find another way to hit Hula._ "Flower, use Razor Leaf!"

Rudy shook his hand and snapped his fingers once more. Hula swayed her head and hips back and forth, and the sharp leaves couldn't touch the intended target. The Trainer said, "Now it's our time to attack. Hula, Egg Bomb!"

The Exeggutor's heads glowed yellow, then six egg-shaped orbs of light shot into the sky, combined into one large ball, and dove towards Flower.

"Flower, counter with Sludge Bomb, full power!" The Seed Pokémon stood her ground and sucked in a lot of air. Then, she launched a purple orb, much larger than the first one, towards the Egg Bomb.

The two attacks collided, showering both Pokémon with a mixture of Normal and Poison type particles. Although Hula took a bit of damage from the super effective attack, Flower was panting due to the expended energy of creating the Sludge Bomb.

"Are you okay, Flower?"

She nodded and looked at me. "I'm fine. But I don't think I have the strength to do another Sludge Bomb."

"Looks like both our Pokémon are getting tired," Rudy acknowledged. "Time for the last dance! Hula, use Psychic!"

I have to keep going. I know she wants me too. "Flower, Razor Leaf!"

The sharp leaves slammed into the orb of magenta energy, and the two attacks battled for control. Unfortunately, Hula's move powered through the Grass type attack and struck Flower in the face. The latter Grass type fell down, unable to move.

"Flower is unable to continue! Hula wins, therefore, the first set goes to Rudy!"

I walked over to Flower, who was struggling to stand back up. "You did really well, Flower. Get some rest, okay?" She nodded and was happy to return to her Pokéball.

"Excellent work, dear," Rudy praised as he returned his Pokémon.

"Don't give up, Summer!" Mahri shouted with encouragement from the hot air balloon.

"You can do it!" Yuki added, with her Minun cheering enthusiastically.

I smiled and returned to my Trainer's box, my second Pokéball in hand. "Go, Swirls!"

She eagerly front flipped out of her ball and landed squarely on the ground. "Ready when you are, Dudette!"

Rudy smirked and threw his Pokéball into the air. "Waltz, dance away!"

The Starmie appeared and muttered in a robotic voice, "YES...SIR..."

I sighed. The translation app needs more work on the genderless translations... But I regained my focus.

The assistant looked at us and shouted, "Battle begin!"

I started off with a simple attack. "Swirls, rapid fire Water Gun!"

Rudy chuckled. "You don't get this, do you, Summer?" He snapped his fingers, and the Starmie twirled around following a four-step beat. It easily dodged the five streams of water Swirls shot.

"Let's end this quickly." Rudy waved his left arm forward. "Waltz, Thunderbolt!"

I knew that super effective would badly weaken Swirls, and I shouted, "Water Pulse!"

The Poliwhirl immediately stopped the Water Guns and aimed an orb of water at the approaching lightning bolt. The Electric type attack easily broke through the Water Pulse and struck Swirls in the chest.

I thought our Gym battle was over, but the wave of water from the broken orb washed over Swirls, recovering most of her energy.

Rudy was slightly shocked. "So your Poliwhirl has Water Absorb. That only buys your some time. Waltz, do the Thunderbolt dance!"

"Swirls, dodge!"

The Mysterious Pokémon spun around and shot several Thunderbolts at the Tadpole Pokémon. Swirls tumbled around the battlefield, narrowing dodging each bolt.

 _I need to find a way to stop that Starmie's movements, but how?_

Eventually, the Water and Psychic type was getting exhausted from not being able to hit Swirls and stopped the rapid fire. Swirls commented, "Hey, Dudette. I saw a pattern in that groove."

"Okay, let's try that strategy Yuki taught us. Use Ice Punch!" I commanded, forming a fist.

Rudy, not recognizing our plan, commanded, "Waltz, Thunderbolt!"

As Swirls lunged forward with her right fist glowing light blue, the Starmie discharged another lightning bolt from its red jewel. The Poliwhirl then punched at the Thunderbolt, causing the bolt to separate into five smaller bolts of lightning and surround the Ice Punch. The Gym Leader and his Pokémon were stunned as the Ice and Electric type combination struck Waltz's red jewel, fracturing it into five pieces. Waltz fell onto the battlefield, its jewel flashing red.

"Waltz is unable to battle! Swirls wins, therefore the second set goes to Summer Scorcher!"

"Great job, Swirls!" I praised as she sat exhaustedly on the rock.

She gave me a thumbs up. "Thanks, Dudette." Rudy and I returned our Pokémon at the same time.

"You've been an interesting challenger, Summer," Rudy noted. "Trusting your Pokémon like that. But this last set will show us who the better Trainer is. Taebo, time for an aerobics lesson!"

The Hitmonchan, which looked slightly skinnier than Master Kiyo's, softly landed and showed off his skills with some warm-up punches.

"Go, Blaze!"

The Fire type glared at the speedy Pokémon. "He looks faster than Hitmonchan. But I don't like that smug attitude."

"Just be careful, Blaze." He nodded as we formed our battle pose.

Rudy chuckled as he rolled his sleeves up. "This should really be interesting." To our surprise, he and Taebo formed a battle pose of their own, with the Gym Leader mimicking his Pokémon's footwork.

 _So he has experience with the Fighting style too… We really need to be careful._

"Battle begin!"

I formed a fist. "Blaze, Fire Punch!"

Blaze ran forward with his right fist bursting into flames.

Rudy smirked at the direct attack. He put his fist close to his face, Taebo doing the same. "Mach Punch!"

Taebo waited for Blaze to get closer, then the pair jabbed with their left fists. A blur of red hit Blaze on the chin, making him wince. Another jab successfully landed on Blaze's chest, pushing the Fire type back. The Blaze Pokémon rubbed his chin, but it didn't look it he took much damage.

"Let's try a long range approach," I decided. "Flamethrower!" Blaze jumped into the air and exhaled the stream of flames.

Rudy snapped his fingers, making Taebo very excited. "Agility, then Mach Punch!" The Hitmonchan's quick feet propelled him around the Fire type move, and he began to move so fast, he became a brown and purple blue.

We stood calm but cautious, as we experienced fast opponents before. But we were caught off guard by the flurry of punches. Blaze tried to block, but was unable to properly defend himself. I gritted my teeth as I couldn't keep up with the punches; the attack seemed weak on its own, but it took its toll as the hits increased. Taebo, started to tire from the Mach Punches, stepped back and returned to his Trainer's side of the field. Blaze was tired as well, panting slightly.

"How are you feeling, Blaze?" I worriedly asked.

He saw my pained face and softly grinned. "I'm fine, Summer. I can keep going."

"Had enough yet, Summer?" Rudy mockingly asked. Taebo echoed his Trainer's sentiment by throwing some more air punches.

I clenched my fist, but refused to give into the taunt. "We're just getting started! Blaze, Fire Punch!"

Rudy smirked as he copied my movements. "Taebo, Thunder Punch!"

Both Pokémon lunged forward, their right fists charged with fire and electricity. As I guided Blaze with the attack, I noticed Taebo preparing his left fist for a Mach Punch.

"Quick, Blaze, Blaze Kick!" He noticed the two fists approaching and we leaned backwards.

Rudy and Taebo were astonished as the Blaziken slammed the fiery foot into the latter's chest, knocking him to the ground. The Hitmonchan growled in pain, rubbing his body.

 _That's it!_ "Blaze, Fire Punch!"

The Fire type quickly landed another hit, wounding the pure Fighting type badly.

Rudy was angry, but a small smile crept over his face. "So you figured out Taebo's weakness. But we still have the speed advantage. Mega Punch!"

Taebo nodded and dashed forward, his right fist charged in a white light. Despite the Pokémon's natural speed, he moved much slower than at the beginning of the battle. Blaze and I anticipated our opponent's movement and once Taebo threw the punch forward, the Blaziken snatched onto the Hitmonchan's arm and kneed the Punching Pokémon. Taebo buckled forward and Blaze allowed him to fall onto the ground.

As the Hitmonchan struggled to stand, Rudy, seeing his Pokémon's pain, ran onto the field.

The assistant noticed this and shouted, "By running onto the battlefield, the Gym Leader has admitted defeat. Therefore, Blaze wins and the last set and match go to Summer Scorcher!"

Blaze then buckled from his wounds, but before he hit the rock, I caught him and gently lowered him to the ground. "You did great, Blaze," I praised.

He leaned his head next to mine. "Thanks, Summer."

Rudy lifted his injured Hitmonchan to his feet. "Thank you, Taebo," he whispered as he returned him. He then looked at us with a wide grin. "Just as I expected from a Top 8 Trainer. You and your Pokémon battled hard."

We heard a thump behind us and saw Mahri and Yuki run towards me.

"That was amazing, Summer!" the younger girl screamed. "I wish I can battle like you!"

Rudy laughed. "I'm sure you will, Mahri." He then took something out of his vest pocket. It was a pale yellow shell with eight spikes and a small red gemstone in the center. "Take the Spike Shell Badge. You earned it."

"Thanks, Rudy," I accepted the prize and put it in my badge case. When I looked up, I was welcomed by a pink rose.

Rudy chuckled, awkwardly presenting the flower to me. "And take this, Summer, as an apology. I respect you as a Trainer, and I only wanted to test your character as a Trainer and a person. Can you forgive me for being so mean to you?"

I happily sighed and touched the soft petals. "I can. Thank you." After carefully placing the rose on my backpack, I said, "You know, that dinner you mentioned yesterday sounded really good."

"Don't push your luck, Summer!" Rudy playfully bantered as the other girls laughed. "But how about a lunch before you and Yuki leave?"

I grinned. "All right. Lunch is a good alternative."

We boarded the hot air balloon back to the Gym side of the outside area and enjoyed a delicious homemade lunch.

 **Pokémon: Blaze** **(Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls** **(Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning** **(Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower** **(Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What was Yuki thinking about?

What did you think of the Gym battle?

What is the family matter Stanley mentioned?


	20. OI 19

**Summer and Yuki traveled to Trovita Island for Summer's third Gym challenge in the Orange Islands. After overcoming the Gym Leader's test and his condescending remarks, she defeated Rudy and earned the Spike Shell Badge. The girls accompany Daisy for a special visit to the Orange Islands Fire and Rescue Station on Ascorbia Island. There, they meet a recruit struggling with her Squirtle. Can the girls help the two become a strong firefighting team?**

 **Chapter 19- Fighting the Fire of Doubt**

After a few days on the sea, the Eevee Showboat sailed towards Ascorbia Island for a special performance. Yuki and I cleaned the deck as Lightning and Ichigo cleaned the railing.

"What's on Ascorbia Island?" I asked.

Yuki, taking a short break, sat cross-legged. "It's the main headquarters of the Orange Islands Fire and Rescue Department. They train new recruits, people and Pokémon, for rescue, firefighting, and medical emergencies."

"That's cool! It's kind of like the Pokémon Rangers back home. I hope they like the _Prism Warrior_ show from the Showboat Festival."

Yuki nodded. "And it's nice Aunt Daisy's taking us to the station. I always like watching the new recruits train."

As the boat slowed down, we saw an island covered with palm trees and a wide sandy beach. The beach had several docks, where two orange and white striped boats with life preservers, lifeboats, and hoses attached. At the inland edge was a large orange brick building where the faint sounds of drills were being conducted. After Daisy came onto the deck, we put the cleaning supplies away and followed her to the building, a ten-minute walk across the sand. On the front, it read "Orange Islands Fire and Rescue".

When he noticed us approaching, a tall man wearing an orange jumpsuit walked out of the garage, where several orange fire trucks were parked. He was very tan, with spiky black hair, thick eyebrows, and black eyes.

He saluted us, and Daisy returned the gesture. "A pleasure to see you again, Daisy," he welcomed with a rugged but friendly voice. "Who did you bring today?"

"Ah, you remember Yuki, my niece. And this is Summer, her friend."

The man then bowed. "A pleasure to see you again, Yuki. Welcome, Summer; I am Captain Aidan, a firefighter and the head instructor here."

"Nice to meet you," I acknowledged with a bow.

"Would you like to see our recruits train?" Captain Aidan offered.

Daisy excitedly clapped her hands. "Of course! We still have time before the performance, and I want to see this year's recruits. What do you think girls?"

"Ooohhh!" Yuki squealed. "I've been waiting to walk around the campus again!"

We laughed at the girl's enthusiasm. "I'm fine with that," I replied, also eager to observe them.

"Excellent. Allow me." The firefighter opened a fence door and guided us inside.

I was amazed at the size of the dirt training grounds. Young people, along with their Pokémon partners, trained at five stations where instructors supervised the recruits. There were jungle gyms for acrobatic training, demonstration hoses and other firefighting equipment for recruits to get accustomed with agility and other strength training exercises, first aid training, and target practice.

As Captain Aidan explained the station to us, Yuki noticed a girl and a Squirtle training at the target practice station. She was about fifteen, with dark skin, green eyes, and long dark hair tied with an orange hair tie. She was also dressed in a yellow shirt and brown cargo pants, like the other recruits, and looked very fit.

"Come on, Salihafa," she encouraged her partner. She had a slight Middle Eastern accent and a gentle tone. "We've practiced a lot. You can do it."

"Uhhh…" the Squirtle stammered. "I...I don't...know… There's so many people here..."

 _Wow, a female Squirtle. She's pretty lucky to get a female starter Pokémon._

A boy slightly older than her strutted next to them, his partner, a Blastoise with an orange bandana wrapped around his head, mimicking his Trainer's crossed arms. He had brown eyes, darker skin, and a black crew cut. "You still working with that scaredy Squirtle, Shula?" he mocked. His voice matched his burly physique.

The female recruit glared at the dissenter. "She's still young, Elijah. Once she gets some confidence, I know she can do it."

He scoffed, "Oh please. All you need is to evolve her. After all, that's how Crest and I became the top recruit pair."

"Alright you two, break it up," a male instructor scolded. "Just continue your target practice."

When Yuki heard the man take a break from talking, she asked, "Captain Aidan. Who's that girl over at the target practice station?"

"Hmm…?" He looked at that area. "Ah… That's Shula and her Squirtle, Salihafa. They're our only all-female pair this year. Shula is a natural firefighter. Athletic, caring, determined. But Salihafa's still not ready to handle emergencies just yet. That Squirtle has good endurance and listens to her Trainer well, but she's still not confident."

I saw her concerned face and softly smiled. I looked at the captain and asked, "Would it be okay if Yuki and I talk to her, Captain Aidan?"

He saw our interested expressions and nodded. "I see no reason why not, as long as you don't disturb the other recruits."

Daisy nodded. "Captain Aidan and I also want to catch up. We'll start heading to the boat around 5."

"Okay, we should be done then, Aunt Daisy."

We waved goodbye and walked over to the pair of recruits. Salihafa, startled by the strangers, dashed behind her companion's legs and timidly watched.

The recruit saw us and smiled. "You must be with the Eevee Showboat, yes?"

"That's right. I'm Summer, and this is my friend Yuki."

"Nice to meet you both. I'm Shula, and this is my partner, Salihafa. "

Yuki knelt down to the Squirtle's level, making the Pokémon more timid. "We noticed you were having some trouble with your Squirtle."

Shula played with her hair. "A little. Salihafa is a great firefighter. But when we're surrounded by other people, she gets nervous. We've been training here for three months now, and I don't know how else I can help her."

"Maybe Momo can help," my friend said, taking out his Pokéball. "It took him some time to get used to performing in front of large crowds of people."

Shula was very happy. "I would be grateful for your assistance."

"Let me help too," I added. "Rocky went through a rough experience before he became my Pokémon." I nervously looked around. "It is okay if I let him out, right?"

The teenager laughed. "It should be fine. We can go to the private training station located at the north side of the campus. That way, Salihafa will become more comfortable."

"Sounds good."

"All right then. Come on Salihafa, let's race!"

"O-Okay…"

As the two ran around the jungle gym, Yuki and I walked in that direction. I would've ran as well, but since the triathlon, I had enough recreational running for a while.

Shula opened a wooden door, revealing another outdoor space with targets surrounding us. It was about fifty feet in diameter, perfect for large Pokémon to stand comfortably. After I let out Rocky and Yuki did the same with Momo, Salihafa was shocked by the size of the Onix and ran into her Trainer's arms.

Rocky was saddened. "Did I scare her?"

I rubbed his side. "She's still young, Rocky. It'll take some time."

"Why don't you try, Momo?" Yuki suggested.

He nodded and walked over to the prospective firefighters. "Hi there, Salihafa. I'm Momo."

She tearfully looked at the Wartortle and wiped her eyes. "Hi…"

"Do you want to practice shooting targets with me?"

The younger Pokémon happily nodded. "Yeah...that's my favorite exercise."

She jumped down and the two Turtle Pokémon aimed multiple Water Gun attacks at the targets, which retracted and returned to their original positions. Rocky joined in by throwing rocks at the Water types to increased the difficulty.

"Wow…" Shula gasped, amazed at the sight. "Salihafa has never trained with another Pokémon before."

Yuki replied, "That's because Momo knows how she feels. He wasn't good at battling, so he never found the right Trainer. When I got him, I realized he was, but not in competitive situations. As we worked on Contest battling, he eventually became more comfortable with regular battles as well. Seeing Salihafa like that really reminds him of himself."

"That's a good story, Yuki," I praised.

Before Yuki could reply, someone opened the door behind us. "What's wrong with you, Shula? Why would you want to keep working with that Squirtle?" Elijah commented. "Because of her, you're not showing your true potential as a firefighter. And why would you work with two Trainers who don't have fully evolved Pokémon?!"

The Water types stopped their training and looked at the teenage boy angrily. Rocky echoed their sentiment and softly growled.

"Come on, you know once they evolve, Wartortle are better firefighters," he continued. "They have more power and endurance."

Shula politely protested, "That may be true, Elijah, but Squirtle are quicker and can fit into smaller places. I'm fine with Salihafa as my partner. She's very sweet and hard-working, and I want to keep working with her to become the best female firefighting pair."

Suddenly, a siren blared through the facility. Shula and Elijah immediately became focused and ran back to the training stations. Bewildered, we returned our Pokémon and ran after them. When we opened the doors, the acrid smell of smoke greeted our nostrils. In the courtyard, people and Pokémon were piling into five fire trucks and two other vehicles headed out through wide double doors, towards the rest of the island.

Captain Aidan and Daisy dashed towards us. "Girls, there's a fire at an apartment complex near the downtown area," the man informed. "You and Daisy should return to the showboat as soon as possible. It'll be safe there."

Normally, I would abide to those precautions, but... "Captain Aidan, we want to help in any way we can."

Yuki added emphatically, "We can support you. Aunt Daisy and I have Pokémon that can use Helping Hand. That'll help put out the blaze quickly."

Daisy smiled. "The girls have a point. Yuki, Summer, and I will stay together and work as a team, if that's all right with you."

Captain Aidan crossed his arms. "Very well. But stay together and follow my commands." He looked at the remaining truck. "I only have enough room left for two people."

Yuki and I let out Ume and Errol. "We'll fly there and follow your truck," I stated.

He nodded and the two adults climbed onto the truck.

"A mission..." Errol murmured as I climbed onto his back. "Ms. Ume and I will escort you ladies safely."

"Thanks, Errol," Yuki said as she positioned herself on her Swellow.

As soon as we took off, we followed the blaring truck down the main street to the source of the smoke, a three-story building with flames spewing from several broken windows. A small crowd of scared onlookers watched the work from behind a police barricade. The firefighters, new and experienced, readied the equipment and their Pokémon to dispel the fire. Several entered the building to look for those trapped inside. After seeing the truck stop at an intersection, we landed by a small park and returned our Flying types.

"Swirls, Rocky, Blaze, I need your help!"

"Momo, Ichigo, please help us!"

Our Pokémon saw the blaze and looked at us, ready to follow our instructions. Captain Aidan, his Wartortle, Daisy, Primrose, Redwood, Twinberry, and Buckeye, joined us.

Captain Aidan received some statuses from his radio and commanded, "Ladies, I need help putting out the blaze at our side of the structure. If you have Pokémon who can enter the building to aid our rescue teams, I would greatly appreciate it."

Shula, dressed in an orange firefighting suit and mask, and Salihafa ran towards us. "We are ready to enter the building, sir."

"Blaze, help Shula," I commanded.

He nodded. "Will do, Summer."

Daisy looked at her Flareon. "You too, Redwood. I know you can tolerate the heat well."

"Of course I can!" he confidently shouted.

Salihafa was nervous to enter the hot building, but when she saw our Pokémon, who had no firefighting training, determined to help, she became more confident. She smiled at her Trainer and she grinned.

"All right, move out!" she shouted. The four entered the building and disappeared from sight. We then issued commands for our other Pokémon.

"Swirls, use Water Pulse! Rocky, see if anyone is by the windows and lower them down!"

"Momo, Water Gun! Ichigo, Helping Hand!"

"Primrose, Water Pulse! Twinberry, use your powers to guide any trapped people to the nearby exits or Rocky. Buckeye, Helping Hand!"

Our Pokémon immediately sprung into action. As the Minun and Eevee cheered for the others, the Poliwhirl, Wartortle, and Vaporeon began to extinguish the flames with the strengthened sprays and orbs of water. Rocky carefully leaned close to the complex as Twinberry closed her eyes and sensed for anyone moving inside. Once she did, she showed them to a window where Rocky was awaiting them. It was a family of three and a firefighter who emerged from the third floor, the latter bringing them to an ambulance where the medics gave first aid.

As the rescue continued, I noticed Shula's team was inside for a very long time. "Twinberry, do you know where Shula and the Pokémon are?"

The Sun Pokémon moved her head around the second floor. "It looks like she's carrying a child, but she appears to be tiring. The Pokémon are helping her move through the collapsing wood. I'm going to help her outside."

"Rocky!" I shouted. "Shula's coming through the second floor! Wait for her there!"

He nodded, but as he was about to move to that location, a man inside the building screamed. Twinberry informed, "Shula is handing the child to Blaze, and she and Squirtle are going upstairs to save the man. Blaze and Redwood are heading to the window."

Rocky allowed the Fire types to board his head and gently lowered them to the ground. Blaze was panting, but he carried a scared but barely scratched girl in his arms. After he gave her to the medics, he sat down and coughed.

"It's getting hotter inside," he relayed. "I don't know if I can go back inside."

I rubbed his shoulders, and I immediately felt the heat. "Get some rest, Blaze. You're not used to these types of conditions."

Redwood, however, looked in much better condition. Daisy commanded, "Redwood, help Shula!" He nodded and ran back inside before the entrance collapsed.

Captain Aidan said, "This is getting more serious. Everyone, continue to extinguish the blaze!"

Our Water types nodded and continued the watery onslaught, the flames beginning to diminish and the smoke billowing more. Twinberry then said, "Shula and the Pokémon are carrying the man towards the third story window."

Rocky heard the Psychic type and immediately greeted them. As he carried the exhausted crew back to the ground, the crackling sounds of burning wood faded, and the surrounding area no longer felt hot. The fire was finally out.

The medics guided Shula and, to my surprise, Elijah, to the ambulance while Captain Aidan worriedly ran over to check his recruits. Daisy got us some water, and it felt so refreshing as it flowed through my mouth.

After we made sure our Pokémon recovered from the strenuous work and returned them, the head of the station returned with an update. "Shula and Elijah suffered some smoke inhalation but are otherwise fine. Salihafa has some slight scratches from climbing around and making openings for them to pass through. Everyone else made it out safely; thanks to the extra help from you."

"Thank goodness," Daisy said with relief. "I'm glad we could help. Why don't we let your students rest and have the performance tomorrow?"

Captain Aidan chuckled. "We don't want to burden you anymore than we need to. Let's have a later performance, around 7:30?"

"Sounds good to me. I'll let the rest of my crew know."

"Can we check on Shula before we head back to the ship?" Yuki inquired.

The adults nodded. "Of course, Yuki," Daisy happily replied. "I'll head back first to inform Will and Marybelle the change of plans. Take your time."

The showboat owner and her Eeveelutions walked back to the docks as Captain Aidan let me and Yuki to the medic area. The recruits were sitting on two foldable chairs, taking deep breaths while drinking water. They looked a lot better and Salihafa and Crest worriedly sat next to their Trainers.

Shula saw us approach and softly smiled. "I saw what you girls did. You and your Pokémon were very brave. Thank you for helping us."

Elijah agreed, "You girls aren't half bad. Sorry about the things I said earlier, especially you, Salihafa." The Squirtle was surprised at her critic's words. "You really performed well under pressure and helped get us outside safely. Shula trained you well."

The Tiny Turtle Pokémon blushed. Shula giggled. "See? I knew you could do it."

"Well, we should get back to the boat," Yuki said. "We'll see you there at 7."

"Yeah! See you then, girls. And thanks again."

We waved goodbye and flew on our Flying types.

"You know," I pointed out. "If Rocky was a Steelix, he would have a lot of trouble helping out today."

Yuki laughed. "That's very true! But why did you bring that up, Summer? Are you thinking about having him evolve?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm still not sure yet. I still want to get Rocky's opinion first."

"But Ms. Summer," Errol interjected. "Then would Mr. Rocky require a new nickname?"

"I haven't thought about that!" laughed. "But we'll decide that when we get there."

Yuki and Ume agreed with a nod. After we arrived back at the docks, we hosted the Orange Islands Fire and Rescue Station recruits to a night of food, fun, and relaxation.

* * *

Sheila, Terra, and Magma silently prowled through the quiet streets of Kumquat Island. They were meeting their boss at a building located at the far edge of downtown. Once they arrived at the meeting place, the oldest of the group opened the door, and inside was a man covered by the shadows.

"Did you bring the key?" he asked.

Sheila presented him with the requested item. "Straight from Trovitopolis City Hall."

"Excellent," he said with a chuckle. "Father thought he could protect it from me, but now I have access to my victory over the hotel industry!"

Little did he know, a familiar Ranger overheard the conversation and returned to the Pokémon Center to make a phone call.

 **Pokémon: Blaze** **(Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls** **(Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning** **(Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower** **(Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What did you think of the firefighting team?

What is the item OIATO now has access to?


	21. OI 20

**The Eevee Showboat paid a special visit to the Orange islands Fire and Rescue Department on Ascorbia Island. Summer and Yuki helped a recruit's Pokémon gain more confidence during an emergency, saving many lives in the process. Now the boat has arrived on Kumquat Island, the final location of the Orange Islands gyms. However, due to the battle format and type disadvantages, Summer must contend with two Pokémon known for their bickering. Will they be able to overcome their arguments and triumph?**

 **P.S. A special thanks to Fancyyy for allowing me to cameo his character, Lows, in his story,** _ **Hoenn - Where the Journey Begins**_ _ **.**_ **It's a great story, so go ahead and check it out if you haven't yet :)**

 **Chapter 20- Double the Effort**

After a few more days out on the sea, the Eevee Showboat arrived on Kumquat Island. I gazed at the view from the deck and saw a developed land covered with hotels, shopping, and a sprawling beach. Not only was it a well-traveled destination spot, it was also the location of the last Gym in the Orange Islands. As Yuki and I were about to disembark, the crew walked towards us carrying duffel bags.

Yuki was confused. "Aunt Daisy, where are you all going?"

Her aunt laughed. "We're coming with you two to the Gym."

"Really?" I asked. "But why do you have duffel bags?"

Will hinted, "Oh, you'll see."

"But who's going to watch the ship?" Yuki inquired.

Pyro, Charge, Cactus, and Starlight happily popped out of the first floor door. "They don't like to be in hotels," Marybelle stated with a slight grin. "Besides, they like watch guard duty."

"All right then," Daisy shouted enthusiastically. Let's head to the Kumquat Gym!"

She led us through the bustling downtown area filled with boutique stores, skyscrapers, and fancy hotels to a twenty-story hotel at the northern edge of the urban area. It was a yellow building, which complemented the sand on a nearby beach.

A woman with short red head hair and blue eyes gleefully dashed out of the glass double doors. She wore a dark blue dress, a yellow cardigan with green trim, and dark brown sandals. She hugged Daisy and they squealed.

"Daisy, it's so good to see you again!" the woman shouted jovially. Her voice was slightly deep, but it had a hint of a mother's touch.

"It's been a long time, Luana!" After they split apart, Daisy said. "You remember Will, Marybelle, and Yuki?"

"Of course! The stellar crew and your fabulous niece. But who's this newcomer?"

"This is Summer. She's Yuki's new friend and a Trainer."

There was a glint in Luana's eyes. "A Trainer, huh? Something tells me this visit isn't just a vacation."

"Does that mean you're the Kumquat Gym Leader, Luana?" I asked.

She laughed, then boldly crossed her arms. "You bet! And I assume you're here to challenge me?"

I nodded. "What test do you have for me?"

She cheekily grinned. "I don't have one. If you defeated the rest of the Orange Crew, that's a passing grade for me."

"Oh, good. Then what are the battle rules?"

"You're pretty detailed, aren't you? It's a 2 on 2 doubles battle. I can give you until tomorrow afternoon to get used to the format."

"That's fine with me. I haven't done double battles since I graduated from school."

"Hmm…" Luana mused. "Anyway. You're welcome to stay in my hotel for the night. I let challengers and their guests rest here and enjoy the amenities. It makes the journey here worth it."

"Thanks, Luana. I can see why Daisy, Will and Marybelle are here too."

The Gym Leader laughed playfully. "Oh, she knows that rule all right. It's been a family tradition to let Trainers and friends stay for free during Gym challenges. Why don't you check into your rooms and explore before your training? We have an indoor pool, a natural hot spring, two restaurants, a computer lab, a large park, beach access, and a movie theater, as well as a battlefield where our challenge awaits. I'll check everyone in."

"Wow, that's a lot of amenities," I replied, amazed at the amount of luxury I was getting for free. "Want to come with me, Yuki?"

"Of course!" she squealed. "I can help with your training too."

"All right then. We'll be in the hotel if you need us, girls," Daisy said as the crew entered the building first.

Yuki and I followed afterwards. We put our things down in our room on the fifth floor, noting the detail in the dark green carpet and oak furniture, and headed downstairs. We passed by the pool, which was in the shape of a very large kumquat, the restaurants, and the large chandelier in the lobby before exiting the hotel and walking onto the warm sand of the beach.

I let out all of my Pokémon, who were very excited to be on a beach again. "So," I addressed my team. "The Gym rules state that it'll be a doubles battle. Who wants to do it?"

Their excitement turned into seriousness. "What Pokémon will Luana use?" Flower asked, tilting her head slightly.

I looked at the Pokémon Gym app on my Pokégear and found her icon. "It says she uses an Alakazam, named Hoshi, and a Marowak named Hisui."

Errol stroked his chin. "That would mean over half of our group is vulnerable to that combination of types."

"Errol dude!" Swirls realized. "That means we're a battling posse!"

"P-Posse…?" he stuttered. "May I please not battle with Ms. Swirls?"

"Whatcha mean, Errol dude?!" the Poliwhirl indignantly retorted. "I can hot-dogging it!"

"But your demeanor says otherwise. You are extremely lax."

"And you are an uptight bummer."

"Okay, that's enough…" I interrupted, shocked and upset at Errol and Swirls' arguing. "Both of you are right. You two are the best pair in this battle, and Swirls has been doing great lately. So I'll use you two for my Gym challenge."

The two angrily looked away, making the rest of my team nervous. Hopefully the training will give them more confidence in each other.

 **Later that day…**

"Blaze, Flamethrower! Lightning, Thunderbolt! Flower, Razor Leaf! Rocky, Rock Throw!"

The four Pokémon launched their long-range attacks at their teammates. But instead of working together to dodge the multiple attacks, they focused on their own movements and ending up hitting each other, making them vulnerable to the onslaught. Both fell to the ground and glared at each other.

"Errol dude! You were supposed to dive left!"

"And I say you must implement the right evasion technique!"

I groaned. _They've been arguing like this for the past three hours. Maybe it's time to try something else._ I looked at Yuki, who was observing the terrible results. "Yuki, you've been in double battles. Can you give me some advice?"

She played with her hair. "Hmm… Why don't I battle you, Summer? Maybe Swirls and Errol can learn by watching Momo and Ume."

I glanced at the Poliwhirl and Noctowl angrily turning away. "I hope they can."

My friend giggled as she let out her Wartortle and Swellow. "Momo, Ume, we're going to have a practice Contest battle. Let's show them some of our combinations."

"You got it, Yuki!" Momo shouted as he ran across from me.

Ume flew into the air. "Let's show them."

As they stood in front of us while the rest of my Pokémon walked to the landward side of the beach, Swirls and Errol noticed something was going on.

"What's up with the change, Dudette?"

"I asked Yuki to battle us and see her combinations. Hopefully, it'll teach you two to work together."

Errol begrudgingly flapped his wings. "I hardly think this attempt would be fruitful." Swirls nodded her head, agreeing with him for once.

"Come on," I pleaded. "Just give it a try."

"Fine…" they mumbled and faced their opponents.

"You can have the first move, Summer!" Yuki shouted.

"Thanks, Yuki. Swirls, use Water Gun on Ume!" The Tadpole Pokémon immediately shot a stream of water at the blue Flying type.

"Ume, dodge and use Quick Attack on Swirls!" She evaded the Water Gun and circled around it, highlighting her blue feathers.

"Errol, stop Ume with Psychic!"

As his eyes glowed magenta, Yuki thrust out her right arm. "Momo, stop the Psychic with Rapid Spin!"

The Turtle Pokémon ducked into his shell and spun around into the psychic energy. This made the attack more powerful as Momo slammed into Errol's chest. At the same time, Ume slammed into Swirls' stomach. Both Pokémon were pushed back, but they still looked physically okay.

I smiled. "I see, Yuki. You used our offense to power up your moves and defend Ume."

"That's right! In a double battle, both Pokémon need to recognize the dangers they and their partner face. The Trainer also needs to be aware of these things in order to guide the Pokémon."

I absorbed all of the useful information. "Okay. Go ahead and attack us."

"You got it! I've wanted to try this combination for a while. Ume, Aerial Ace! Momo, Blizzard!"

The Swallow Pokémon dove towards the ground as the Wartortle exhaled the gust of snow. But instead of aiming it at Swirls and Errol, the Blizzard surrounded the light of the Flying type move. This made a funnel-like effect, with Ume's beak at the center.

Noticing there was a small opening, I shouted, "Swirls, use Ice Punch!" Guiding her with the attack, we threw an uppercut to Ume's chin, knocking her upwards. "Now throw her back with Psychic!" Errol nodded and flew in front of the weakened Pokémon, his eyes glowing magenta.

"Momo, use Aqua Tail to absorb the blow!"

The whirlpool from the Wartortle's tail reduced the impact of the combined hits as Ume flew out of the swirling liquid.

We were amazed at the creativity of the defensive maneuver. "That was amazing, Yuki! I didn't know Aqua Tail could be used like that."

"That's the fun of double battles! Learning how to use moves in unusual ways."

I looked at my Pokémon, who were beginning to tire from the battle. "Why don't we take a break? Yuki and I can discuss strategies while you two rest." They nodded, and the four joined the others, who were resting under a palm tree. As we stared at the beautiful sight of the ocean, Yuki and I continued our discussion.

The nine Pokémon decided to explore the beach and split into two groups, male and female. The boys wandered towards a sandbar while the girls played at a tide pool.

* * *

Errol was farther behind Blaze, Rocky, Ichigo, and Momo, muttering about the earlier events. _"_ Why must she be so difficult to work with?! I am not an 'uptight bummer'..."

"Hey Errol," Rocky asked, interrupting the Noctowl's inner monologue. "Why don't you want to battle with Swirls? Is something wrong?"

"Oh! It is just her personality, that is all. I prefer not to battle alongside those who do not share my passion for the art of battling."

"But she's been training a lot," Ichigo, who was riding on Rocky's head, pointed out. "I wouldn't mind battling with her."

"I agree," Momo added. "I think she's a fun Pokémon to work with."

"Well, I prefer to be more serious in battle," Errol scoffed. "After all, a simple mistake can undermine the plans for victory."

Blaze helped his arms behind his head and smirked. "If I didn't know any better, Errol, I'd say you have a crush on Swirls."

Errol gaped at the Blaziken's conjecture but obstinately remarked, "I have no idea what you are implying, Mr. Blaze. But I assure you, that is not the case."

"Blaze does bring up a point," Rocky noted. "I mean, even though I was the last member to join, I could tell you liked her. You banter with her a lot."

"And you commented about her jargon first, worked on Hypnosis training with her, acted with her in the performances-"

"I understand, Blaze, I've done all of those things with her. However…"

"However what?" Rocky inquired.

The Flying type landed on the Rock type's head next to Ichigo. "I...I…I am worried I will embarrass myself during our battle."

Blaze groaned. "Errol, you can't think that. If you do, you will do the thing you're worried about."

"Why must you always make sense?"

The Fire type grinned. "Trust me, I learned that with Lightning. If I can do it, so can you. Just apologize to her first, then it'll be easier to tell her how you feel as a friend rather than a foe."

Errol, defeated, replied, "Very well. I shall discuss with her after our walk."

As Momo and Blaze sat on Rocky's tail, the Onix teased, "Am I now a taxi service?"

"Hey, walking on sand takes its toll!" Momo bantered.

Everyone laughed, and Rocky continued to the stretch of sand carrying his passengers.

 **At the tide pool...**

Swirls sadly sat inside the enclosed pool as Lightning, Flower, and Ume sat on the dark brown rocks next to her.

"I still don't know why you keep arguing with Errol," Lightning commented as she swirled the water with her tail. "You do like him, right?"

"Can't make up my mind…" the Poliwhirl softly replied. "Errol dude is a boss and a bogus..."

"You know," Flower offered some insight. "I heard from Rocky that Errol has some feelings for you, Swirls. Maybe you should tell him how you feel."

"But that'll change our dynamics, Flower dudette! I don't wanna make him more ticked off at me."

"Why not apologize to him first and work together? If you can't work with him, Swirls, then you can't win the Gym battle…"

The Water type sighed and floated on her back, staring at the clouds. _Would it really be okay if I tell him?_

Ume noticed Rocky approaching and flew towards the boys. Summer's Pokémon exited the rocky enclosure and met with the others. Errol and Swirls caught each other's eyes and quickly turned away.

Blaze sighed. "Errol, do you have something to say to Swirls?"

The Noctowl landed on the beach and extended his right wing. "Ms. Swirls. I apologize for my actions earlier. What I uttered...was inexcusable. If we want to defeat Ms. Luana, we must assist one another with Ms. Summer's help."

Swirls looked at Errol's wing, then at the Pokémon. "Errol dude… It's my bad too. Let's show them and Dudette how rad our teamwork is."

Errol genuinely chuckled as they shook hands, or wings in his case. As everyone cheered, they ran back to their Trainers and told them the exciting news.

 **Later that day…**

After a delicious dinner of chicken and roasted potatoes and Pecha Berry pie, I sat on the dark green linen beds of our hotel room. I felt better Swirls and Errol were battling as a team after our break. But the nervousness before a battle still remained.

 _Yuki's still using the bathroom. Maybe I should watch some TV…_

I turned the 36-inch TV, where the local news channel was showing "News around the World". On the screen was Daisy May, informing the viewers about battle-related news.

"With the Hoenn League is still underway, we are focusing on a Trainer currently participating this year each week until the start of the regional tournament. This week, we will focus on Lows Landerson, a new Trainer from the Kanto Region." A boy with a cheerful grin appeared on the image screen. "Lows is from Pallet Town, and his starter Pokémon was a Squirtle. Despite his rough start and the intense competition, he has persevered through the league and has recently obtained his seventh badge against Winona, the Flying-type Gym Leader. He currently has a Wartortle named Surfer, a Linoone named Ziggs, a Kirlia named Grace, a Grovyle named Woody, a Machoke named Power, and an Absol named Shadow. Based on his progress, Lows has the strength to obtain his final Gym Badge and perform well during the regional tournament."

 _That sounds like a really solid team. I hope he does well. Maybe I'll meet him in person someday._ Suddenly, my face felt warmer than usual when Weldon's face appeared on the screen.

"Our last segment features the 2004 Indigo League Winner Weldon Leland. In just four days, Weldon will begin his Elite Four challenge to earn the right to battle Red, the Kanto Champion. He spent the last few months training in Victory Road, and he informed us he was ready for the challenge. Per the Elite Four challenge rules, Weldon will battle each member in four consecutive days. If he is successful in defeating all of the members, he will battle Red after a day of rest. We all look forward to watching Weldon's battles, and they will be shown on the Pokémon League Association Network. Thank you for watching News Around the World, and we hope you have a good night."

 _Wow...it's been that long since the Indigo League? That was the last time I saw him...and it seems he's moved on since that incident. I...I hope he can beat Red…_

"Who can beat Red?"

Startled, I turned around and saw Yuki in her light blue nightgown and a towel turban on her head. "Oh, just a Trainer challenging the Elite Four."

She took off the towel and brushed her hair. "Weldon Leland? He's supposed to be battling them soon, right?"

"Yeah...in four days…"

She noticed my sentence trailed off. "Are you worried about him, Summer?"

"He's a good Trainer. He'll do well for sure."

She softly smiled. "I see. He does seem like a strong Trainer. Let's get some rest and train some more before your Gym battle."

I nodded. "Okay, I'll get ready for bed. Good night, Yuki."

* * *

"What's wrong with this key?!" the OIATO boss frustratingly shouted as he jammed the brass item into a lock behind him.

Sheila was equally annoyed. "There shouldn't be any issues with it."

He sighed. "Where are Magma and Terra?"

"They're setting up the detonation systems around the targeted hotels. Why?"

The man paced around the room. "I heard rumors that there's an eavesdropping Diglett within our organization. I believe that this confirms it."

"You really think Magma or Terra is the Diglett?"

"We'll find out when they come back tomorrow. But for now, let's keep this discussion to ourselves."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

After lunch, Yuki, the Eevee Showboat crew, and I descended the elevator to the battlefield below the hotel lobby. While everyone else was excited, I didn't share the same sentiment. _Okay, we can do this. Swirls and Errol worked really hard yesterday and this morning. Now, I have to make sure that training was well spent._

The steel doors opened, revealing a large dirt battlefield surrounded by purple bleachers and walls. The lights above lightly dangled from the gust of air expelled from the elevator. As everyone else took their seats in the east bleachers, I walked a few steps forward, where Luana and a man with short black hair and a blue suit were waiting for me.

"I haven't been this excited for a battle in such a long time!" she happily exclaimed. She then turned her head to the left. "Sheldon, can you please referee this battle?"

He bowed. "Of course, Me. Luana." He then walked to the referee's box and shouted, "This match will be a doubles battle between Summer Scorcher and Luana. The challenger will have the first move, and the winner is decided when both Pokémon on one side are unable to continue. Trainers, choose your Pokémon."

"Hoshi, Hisui, let's team up!" The Alakazam and Marowak landed on the ground and glared at me.

My fear slowly dissipating, I threw my Pokéballs into the air. "Let's go, Swirls and Errol!"

The Poliwhirl jumped to the ground as the Noctowl flew upwards. I smiled as they readily looked at each other.

"Let us display our teamwork, Ms. Swirls."

"Right on, Errol dude!"

Sheldon waved his arms. "Battle begin!"

Luana's eyes slightly narrowed, showing her competitiveness. "Show me what you got, Summer!"

"Okay! Swirls, use Water Gun on Hisui!"

She squirted the strong spray of water at the Ground type, but Luana uttered no commands. The Marowak placed his bone forward and spun it around, causing the super effective attack to spread outwards.

"Hoshi, use Confusion on the Water Gun and throw it at Errol!"

The Psychic type expertly took hold of the five streams of water with blue energy, combined them, and sent it at the Flying type. Despite my attack being used against me, I grinned.

"Errol, use Confusion as well!" He nodded and attempted to take control of the incoming attack.

As both Pokémon fought for dominance, Luana took advantage. "Hisui, Bonemerang!"

The Marowak wound up his bone and threw it at the vulnerable Water type. However, I thought of a great strategy.

"Swirls, stand your ground! Errol, move the Water Gun and hit Swirls!"

Everyone except Yuki was confused as Swirls crossed her arms in front of her and braced herself while Errol forced the Water Gun downwards. As the bone hit the Poliwhirl's arms, the water drenched her skin and made her glow green.

Luana laughed when Hisui caught his bone and Swirls shook off the excess water. "What a clever strategy! You used Swirls' ability to recover all the damage from the Bonemerang. Very impressive."

I smiled. "Thanks, Luana! Our training's really paying off."

"I agree, but try to handle this combination!" As Hisui threw his bone again, Luana commanded, "Hoshi, Confusion!"

The Alakazam bent his spoons and took hold of the hurtling weapon, first aiming it at Errol.

 _Even though Bonemerang is a Ground type move, if it's controlled by a Psychic type move, it can do some damage… Maybe that'll work._ "Errol, dive at Swirls!"

Despite the danger, Errol nodded and made a deep dive at his partner, the glowing blue bone slowly inching towards him. At the last moment, I formed a fist.

"Swirls, Ice Punch!" Swirls jumped up and over Errol, and we made an uppercut motion.

The light blue energy made contact with the hard bone and slowly froze it. Hoshi, whose powers were connected to the object, winced in pain and held his head, apparently suffering from a mental brain freeze. The frozen bone then flew into the air

Luana, knowing she had to help Hisui retrieve his bone, shouted, "Hisui, grab your bone with Double Edge!"

The Bone Keeper Pokémon surrounded himself in a large white energy and sprang upwards towards his weapon. Unfortunately for him, Errol was expecting it.

"Errol, Hypnosis!" His eyes glowed purple, and the hypnotic circles touched Hisui's eyes.

As the Marowak fell to the ground, asleep, his partner was able to catch him with his psychic powers. But before Luana could issue another command, I heard several booms coming from outside. Everyone froze, until...

"Summer, can we postpone our Gym battle?" Luana seriously spoke. "It seems like I'm needed outside."

I nodded. "Can we help you?"

She paused, but decided, "Yes. I think that would be best. Let's go."

We ran up the stairs and out of the hotel lobby. What awaited us were clouds of black smoke on top of ten tall buildings, and we instantly knew who the instigators were.

 **Pokémon: Blaze** **(Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls** **(Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning** **(Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower** **(Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What do you think of Errol and Swirls' relationship?

Who is the Diglett in OIATO?

What did you think of the battle before it was interrupted?


	22. OI 21

**Summer, Yuki, and the crew of the Eevee Showboat took a break from performing to watch the former's final Orange Islands Gym battle on Kumquat Island. Because of the Gym's double battle format and type matchups, Summer trained with Swirls and Errol. After overcoming their initial squabbling, they were able to handle Luana's Pokémon. Unfortunately, several explosions caused by OIATO interrupted the battle. When they exit the hotel, Summer and Yuki run into several people, familiar and strangers. Who are these people, and are any of them part of OIATO?**

 **Chapter 21- The Strains of Friendship**

We ran to the downtown area, where people frantically ran away from any of the tall buildings to avoid being caught in more explosions. Police officers ordered the crowd to shelters and first aid for those suffering from smoke inhalation. When we arrived at the Pokémon Center, three familiar people were waiting for us.

"Luana, thank goodness your hotel wasn't targeted," Cissy exclaimed with a sigh of relief.

"You know me, Cissy. I made sure security was tight since OIATO became more violent."

Danny beamed when he saw us. "Well fancy seeing you here, ladies. I'm glad to see you're safe."

Rudy looked at the sky, then at his Pokégear. "They should be arriving here soon."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Forrest and his Venomoth, Randolf, descended while Detective Beach and another man with shaggy black hair sat on a large dark yellow Pokémon with thin antennae, small wings, and a striped underside. The man was maybe in his late twenties, very muscular, and wore maroon cargo pants and a black sleeveless shirt under a red vest. The Pokémon looked familiar to me, but I never recalled seeing one before.

As the men got off their Pokémon, Forrest tightly hugged his friend. "Yuki, I'm so glad you're safe! I was so worried."

"Thanks, Forrest…" she softly replied. "You too."

The man intently looked at us and spoke with a deep, masculine tone. "We need to assist with the evacuation of the hotels. Cissy, Danny, Rudy, Luana. Divide the city in fourths and help however you can."

Cissy nodded. "You got it, Drake. I'll take northwest."

Danny added, "I'm going to head northeast."

Rudy rolled his sleeves up. "I'll do southeast."

"Then I'll go southwest." Luana returned Hisui. "Hoshi, let's go."

The Orange Crew split up, and Drake turned to us. "You should leave the city in case something else happens."

"I can't," I protested, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "If OIATO is behind this, we need to stop them before things get worse. I don't want others to suffer because of their extreme ideology."

Drake chuckled. "Very well, but follow Detective Beach's orders." I nodded, and he climbed onto his Pokémon. "It's strange," I heard him mutter before he took off. "The buildings are not heavily damaged if the explosions are caused by bombs…"

Daisy, despite the confusion occurring in the city, calmly replied, "Girls, it may be best for you to help Yonaha. We'll offer our showboat as a shelter. Be safe."

"Thanks, Aunt Daisy."

Will lifted Marybelle into his arms, and he and Daisy ran to the harbor.

"Girls," Detective Beach solemnly stated as he adjusted his trench coat. "I really appreciate your help. First, we need to confront any OIATO members within the vicinity."

Forrest added, "I overheard conversations of them planting bombs at specific hotels and opening a safe." He paused and bitterly muttered, "Why would Magma do any of this?"

Yuki clutched something under the neckline of her dress. "Forrest...I-"

"I need to find him myself. I have to hear the truth from him," the Ranger angrily interrupted. Before the detective and his friend could stop him, he took off on Randolf.

"We need to find Magma before Forrest does!" Yuki frantically exclaimed.

After the man nodded, I was confused. "How come we can't let Forrest find him?"

Yuki clasped my shoulders and sobbed, scaring me. "Be-Because...he's already… in trouble…"

Detective Beach worriedly sighed. "Yuki's right. It's time I tell you something, Summer. Let's search for him in the air."

I returned Swirls as Yuki shakily sent out Ume. The Swellow was slightly unnerved by her Trainer's emotional state, but she patiently waited for her to board. Detective Beach joined me as Errol used his psychic powers to levitate him. The man glanced around to make sure nobody heard us, then we ascended into the sky.

As our Pokémon scanned the rooftops, Detective Beach revealed, "I can't let Forrest harm Magma now. Magma...he's an undercover agent for the International Police."

I was stunned. Then, it made sense. "So on Kinnow Island, that source who told you about the hotel takeover, that was Magma? And these 'bombings', he purposely reduced the structural damage to avoid injuries to people?"

His eyes reflected the truth in his words. "Yes… It was risky, putting him into a dangerous environment. But he wanted to make sure the residents and tourists don't suffer from the hands of a selfish man."

"Who is the leader of OIATO then? Was Magma able to find that out?"

The detective bit his lip. "He was about to give me his report when he was called to set those bombs. At any rate, we need to approach the boss carefully if we want to stop him."

Fully understanding the consequences if Forrest badly injures his former friend, I helped Errol scan the still smoky skyline. Then a shout came from an orange building north of the city. Errol and Ume immediately flew towards the sound and I saw Forrest and Magma and their Bug type Pokémon battling on the roof.

Suddenly, the Flying types narrowly dodged an orb of sludge. We immediately looked to our right and saw five OIATO members, two girls on Pidgeotto, two boys on Fearow, and one boy, the leader, dangling from a Crobat.

The boy on the Poison type commanded while pointing at Yuki, "Get that girl!"

The four Pokémon dove at Ume, but she was able to fly upwards and escape from the group attack. Yuki, realizing the danger of the situation, took something off her neck and shouted, "Summer, catch!"

She threw a small object at me, causing the leader to speed towards it.

"Errol, Confusion!" The Noctowl placed Detective Beach on his back, grabbed the object with the blue energy, and quickly gave it to me. It was a thin necklace containing a small brass key, which I instantly put around my neck.

This only made the OIATO members angry. He singled Yuki and Ume out and told the rest of his team, "Knock them out of the sky. We'll settle for the next best option."

Yuki whispered something to Ume, and they fled, causing the leader to give chase. The other members charged at me, but I knew whom to send out.

"Lightning, Thunderbolt!" She leaped out of her Pokéball and hurled a powerful bolt at the Pidgeotto and Fearow. It was a direct hit, causing them and their Trainers, who were knocked out by the electricity, to fall to the ground.

Errol immediately caught and levitated them and Lightning to a nearby rooftop south of the building Forrest and Magma were battling on. After the Owl Pokémon landed, I tied them up with some rope the detective gave me, and the man radioed the police about the restrained teenagers.

I looked at the sky and noticed it was missing something. "Where's Yuki?"

Detective Beach scanned upwards and frowned. "This is not good. She must be in the clutches of OIATO."

I looked at Forrest and Magma, still engaged in their battle. "We have to stop them and get them to work together."

After I returned Lightning, we boarded Errol and he flew towards the two. The Ranger and his Venusaur were tiring against Magma and his Charizard, Jupiter. When we landed, they immediately looked at us. The red-haired teen saw the key around my neck, and he gritted his teeth.

Magma began to approach us, but the Grass type blocked his way with a thick vine. "You're not going to hurt them, Magma," Forrest growled.

Magma pushed away the vine. "Forrest, you don't understand. You need to know what's going on."

"Oh, I know what's going on. You betrayed everything you stood for when we grew up. Instead of helping people, you've been hurting."

"That's not true!" I argued. "Besides, he knows more than you think, Forrest."

"Why should I trust him?" he retorted.

"Because he's your friend." Detective Beach stepped forward. "Magma. The Squirtle has entered the Gyarados' den."

Magma angrily sighed. "Then let's go with the Electrode entrance."

"What's going on?" a puzzled Forrest asked. "And why are you two speaking in code?"

Magma looked at the Ranger and took out a wallet from inside his vest. Inside was an ID card with Magma's face on top and a disconnected gold Pokéball badge. "Forrest...I'm a member of the International Police."

The green-haired was stunned and slowly back stepped. "H-How did I not find anything about this?"

Detective Beach replied. "We needed Magma to have a solid alias, which meant all of his records have been changed to reflect that."

Forrest fell to his knees, a tear coming down his face. "I...It makes sense... Those OIATO cases had more details than other cases I worked on... I...I've been a terrible friend…"

Magma walked to his friend and knelt down. He gently placed a hand on Forrest's shoulder. "You're not, Forrest. I wish I told you the truth sooner, but I couldn't. But now, Yuki needs our help."

The Ranger looked at Magma with bleary eyes. "D-Did Yuki know about your true motives?"

He glanced away. "Yeah...I told her… Back on South Mandarin Island."

* * *

 **Flashback…**

Magma and his Beedrill, Mercury, glared at Yuki and Ichigo in the damaged lobby of the Trovitopolis City Hall.

"Why did you have to come here, Yuki?!" He exclaimed. "Haven't you learned not to interfere with us?"

"I could say the same thing, Magma," she calmly but firmly replied. "I only want to know one thing: why are you in OIATO? What made you turn against everything you believed in?"

Instead of a response, Magma shouted, "Mercury, Sludge Bomb!"

Yuki expected this. "Ichigo, Hidden Power!"

The ocean blue orbs collided with the ball of purple sludge and exploded, splattering ice and poison throughout the room. The Trainers were thrown backwards as the attacks hit them as well, knocking them to the floor. A static sound echoed in the air; Yuki looked up and saw the damaged security cameras.

Magma stood up and rubbed his left ear, his earpiece lay damaged on the floor. He walked over to the fallen girl, who instinctively backed away. Ichigo tried to help her, but was grabbed by Mercury's stingers. She grabbed another Pokéball and was about to throw it when Magma sat down.

She was confused. _Why doesn't he want to attack me?_

The teen took something from behind his vest. "I don't have much time, Yuki. What I'm about to tell you should only be between us and Detective Yonaha Beach."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" He opened a wallet and showed her the contents. She was startled and stuttered, "Y-you're with the I-International P-Police?"

He nodded solemnly. "Yuki, I'm sorry for how I treated you and Summer. Even though I'm undercover, I still feel bad about everything I said involving you two."

She leapt forward and hugged him. "I-I knew you haven't changed…"

Magma clutched her and whispered, "Thanks, Yuki. I needed to hear that."

{I...got...key…} A female voice crackled through the broken earpiece. {Time..evacuate…}

Magma quickly returned Mercury and took something off that was around his neck. It was a small brass key with an orange fruit design on the bow, dangling from a transparent thread. "Yuki, this key is really important. Can you keep this safe for me? If something happens to you, give it to someone you trust."

She firmly nodded and put it around her neck. "I will. Good luck, Magma."

He nodded with a small smile, picked up the earpiece and ran outside to join his teammates.

* * *

"That key is the literal key to stopping OIATO," Magma informed, looking at the metal item dangling from my neck.

"What does it unlock?" I asked.

He shifted his feet. "A vault, where a valuable Pokémon is kept. I don't know who was inside; I wasn't able to hear that part of the conversation."

Detective Beach inquired, "Were you able to figure out who the boss is?"

"He kept hidden in the shadows, and I believe he uses a voice-changing device. I get a feeling he doesn't want us to know who he is."

Forrest looked at the smoky sky. "Then we should see for ourselves."

Magma smirked. "Are you saying we should infiltrate the OIATO headquarters?"

"You do know where it is, don't you?"

The agent laughed. "Of course. But it'll be dangerous, especially if we bring the key with us."

"But we may need it in case they want to exchange it for Yuki," I pointed out. "I've been through this situation before. We should have a failsafe, just in case."

The man paced around, then came up with an idea. "I'll inform the Orange Crew where the OIATO headquarters are. If something happens, give us the signal, Magma and we will assist."

"That sounds good, Yonaha," the agent turned to me and Forrest. "Come on, let's save Yuki."

 **Fifteen minutes later...**

Magma led us to a brick building at the western edge of the downtown fringe of Kumquat Island. Forrest and I hid behind a telephone pole while Magma knocked on the door. When no one answered, he proceeded to kick the door.

The door swung open, revealing an aggravated Terra. "I was coming! Geez, Magma! Where did you go anyway? I was looking for you after the bombs went off."

"I was setting up one on the Mightyena Resort rooftop."

She sighed. "The boss wants to talk to us. He said we didn't do the job right. But I'm sure we did."

"All right. I'll lock the door." He followed his teammate inside and closed the door. I didn't hear a click, which meant he didn't follow those directions.

Forrest and I glanced around for any OIATO members. When we didn't see any, we silently walked up to the door and quietly entered the building. It was dark, but I could discern shapes of furniture, a doorway to the staircase, and two elevators.

"Magma said the boss' room is on the fourth floor," Forrest whispered. "Let's take the stairs to avoid any suspicions."

"Good idea." We snuck into the stairway and headed upwards. _It seems too quiet...I thought there would be more movements because of the failed attack._

Right when we opened the door to the fourth floor, I was hit and pinned down by two black dogs with white skulls on their foreheads. As I struggled, they coughed out purple smoke. I felt my mind become empty as I slowly fell into unconsciousness.

"We found some intruders, boss," the leader of the Flying type group informed as the rest of his team dragged an unconscious Summer and Forrest into the room. The two were placed next to Yuki, who was also unconscious.

After they tied the three together and left, the boss grinned and turned to Magma, who was bound and tied to a pipe inside the room. "I had a feeling you were the Diglett, Magma. Now you and your friends will pay for your treachery."

Magma growled as he tried to lunge at the man he once worked for, "I won't let a selfish coward hurt them!"

He angrily stood up and walked over to his former subordinate. When the sunlight shined through the east window, Magma was stunned at the OIATO boss' identity.

 **Pokémon: Blaze** **(Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls** **(Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning** **(Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower** **(Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What do you think of Magma's double agent role?

Who is the OIATO boss?


	23. OI 22

**Summer's final Orange Islands Gym battle was interrupted when OIATO ignited explosions over several hotel buildings. After conversing with the Orange Crew, Summer learned Magma was an undercover agent for the International Police. Yuki was then captured by OIATO, and Magma, Forrest, and Summer infiltrated the evil team's headquarters. However, they were captured before they could recover an item important to the OIATO boss. When Summer escapes, she is surprised at the identity of the leader of the destructive team. Who is he, and will Summer and her friends be able to stop him?**

 **Chapter 22- Toppling the Tycoon**

 _Not again…Why do I always get knocked out in villain hideouts?_ My eyes fluttered open, and I realized I've been through this situation before. I was tied next to Yuki and Forrest, who were still knocked out. It was quiet; no one was in the room guarding us. I struggled to reach a Pokéball and was able to push one onto the floor. Flower immediately burst out of her ball and patiently waited for my instructions.

"Flower," I whispered. "Use Razor Leaf."

She nodded and quietly shot three sharp leaves that easily sliced through the ropes. The sudden change in pressure woke Forest and Yuki from their slumber.

"Good thinking, Summer," Yuki murmured as Forrest stood up. "Where is everyone?"

Forrest placed his left ear against the closed door. "I don't hear anyone out in the hallway. Maybe they're outside."

Something felt different as I placed my hand on my neck. "Oh no… The boss must've taken the key."

The Ranger gritted his teeth. "I hope Magma can stop him." A thump echoed above us. "That sounds like it's coming from the roof. Let's head up there."

I returned Flower, and we silently crept to the stairwell and climbed to the rooftop. When Forrest opened the door, we were shocked at the sight. Magma and Jupiter were kneeling in defeat. A man with a gray suit, a Charizard also by his side, evilly grinned. What shocked us was the man's identity.

"I-It can't be…" Yuki stuttered. Unfortunately, her statement was loud enough to cause the two to interrupt the battle and look at us.

Forrest growled, "Of all the potential suspects, I never guessed it would be you."

It took me a while to recognize the man, but when I saw the orange tie, I knew. The boss of OIATO was Benny Naranja.

"So, the rest of your friends have joined the party, Magma," the hotel owner taunted. "I never expected these girls to get here. You didn't look very intimidating when I met you on Trovitopolis, especially based on reports from Terra and that traitor. But now, you've been thorns in my side, especially you, Ranger!"

Forest put his hands behind his back and questioned, "Mr. Naranja, why did you do this? What do you have to gain from being the OIATO boss?"

"It's simple, really. To become the most powerful hotel owner, you have to gain control of the hotel industry. But what is the most efficient way to do it? Diplomacy? Violence? No...it's about image. You see, any reputation depends on image. How you look, what your beliefs are, what you do. The hotels designed by Mr. Edward Norton are based on the elegance of Pokémon like his Persian. Mrs. Oceana Spray uses environmentally friendly materials. Mr. The Crusher ensures high safety protocols during demolitions for new hotels. So what if I manipulate the image of my competitors? Will they succeed, or will they fail?"

"So everything you told OIATO to do was all so that you can eliminate your competition?"

"Exactly. During the ransom I orchestrated on Mandarin North Island, I made sure their documents were falsified to show they did things against what they promised. And to throw people off, I had my group steal this lovely key from Trovitopolis, which was a gift from the Naranja Hotel to the city." Mr. Naranja lightly jiggled the brass key in his left hand. "Magma's decoy only delayed me for a little while. Now, I can finally control the Orange Islands hotel industry with these!"

He tossed a small dark orb at his Charizard, who eagerly grabbed it with his right hand. Mr. Naranja, carrying a small clear orb in his right hand, pointed it at his Pokémon. Suddenly, beams of orange energy shot out from the clear orb as beams of blue energy shot out from the dark orb. The two energies collided and turned yellow, causing Charizard to disappear into a blinding white light. The Flame Pokémon's wings grew larger and became more forked, and flames extruded from his mouth. The light burst, revealing a rainbow DNA helix sign and a Charizard with a black coloring and blue flames.

 _That symbol...that's the same one that caused Terry to change his appearance! What is it?_

"Before I continue my onslaught to the hotels here, I should get rid of my obstacles, thanks to the power of Mega Evolution. Charizard, Flamethrower."

The Fire type inhaled deeply, but before he could unleash the attack, Drake's Pokémon slammed into him. Charizard winced in pain but quickly recovered and glared at his attacker. This gave time for Magma to return his Charizard for some rest.

"Excellent work, Draco," Drake praised as he landed on the rooftop with a Gengar.

[Dragonite, the Dragon Pokémon and the evolved form of Dragonair. It can circle the globe in just 16 hours. It is a kindhearted Pokémon that leads lost and foundering ships in a storm to the safety of land.]

 _So that's a Dragonite... But why does it look so familiar to me? I can't think of that now...especially with this situation._

The leader of the Orange Crew frowned at Mr. Naranja. "So you're the leader of OIATO, Benny. You haven't learned much, have you?"

"Shut up, Drake!" Mr. Naranja hissed. "I'm following my dream, just like you!"

"I don't endanger others to achieve it."

 _How many of the strongest regional Trainers know the villainous leader?_

"Fine. How about a little bet?" Mr. Naranja proposed. "If I win, I become the leader of the Orange Crew and have free reign to continue my hotel acquisitions. If you win, I'll surrender to the police."

Drake didn't like the smirk on the hotel owner's face. But he replied, "All right… Draco, Dragon Claw!"

"Charizard, Dragon Claw as well!"

The Dragon type moves collided, causing a powerful wave of air to blow around us. The impact lifted me, Yuki, Forrest, and Magma off our feet and into the air. With quick thinking, we immediately let out our flying Pokémon and they caught us before we hit the ground. Before we could breathe, a Flamethrower almost hit Magma and a Sludge Bomb narrowly hit Yuki.

"Looks like we got company," Magma mused as the Flying Crew surrounded us from above and Terra and Sheila from below.

"Divide and conquer?" Forrest eagerly suggested.

Yuki and I grinned. "I'll help Magma and you help Forrest, Yuki?"

"You got it, Summer! Forrest, let's show these guys how to really fly."

He laughed at his friend's unusually cocky determination and they dove towards the five members, causing them to scatter and give chase. This gave me and Magma a safer landing.

"You traitor!" Terra screamed, her face covered with rage. "And I thought you were passionate about our mission!"

"I am, Terra, but not to this extreme," Magma argued. "We need to work together to achieve that goal of helping locals and tourists."

Sheila sighed. "Magma. That can never happen, especially with people like Benny Naranja."

I whispered to the agent, "Do they not know their boss is Benny Naranja?"

"Well...we've never actually seen him. He's always been covering his face and altering his voice. But I have a plan that can turn things around."

"Okay, I'll follow your lead, Magma."

"What are you two whispering about?!" Sheila questioned.

Magma smirked. "Just an agreement. Let's settle whose beliefs are stronger with a multi battle."

Terra returned the smug smile. "I expected as much. Marowak, show them how strong we are!"

Sheila added, "Kia, aid us."

The Ground type and the Kangaskhan roared at us, but we weren't fazed.

"Jupiter, I need your help!"

"Blaze, let's go!"

The Fire types gave each other an acknowledging nod, then faced their opponents.

Sheila mused at the chosen Pokémon. "What an interesting matchup. Too bad you have the disadvantage. Kia, Aerial Ace Blaze!"

"Jupiter, intercept with Fire Punch!"

They charged at each other, claws exuding white energy and flames. This gave Marowak the space he needed to jump and launch another attack.

"Marowak, Bone Club Blaze!"

My Pokémon and I anticipated the swinging bone and grabbed it with our left hand. "Fire Punch!"

The Ground type was caught off guard by the fiery fist hitting his chest and was thrown into the air. Jupiter and Kia slid back, realizing they were evenly matched. Blaze threw the bone in front of Marowak's feet, and the Bone Keeper Pokémon quickly snatched it.

Sheila gritted her teeth. "As expected from the former strongest Trainer in our ranks. Kia, Mega Punch Blaze!"

I smirked, with Blaze and I getting into position. "Sky Uppercut!"

"I don't think so!" Terra countered. "Marowak, Rock Tomb on Blaze!"

Four huge boulders formed in the air and hurtled towards the Blaziken.

Magma shouted, "Don't worry, Summer. Jupiter, destroy those rocks with Iron Tail!"

The Charizard roared and soared at the falling objects, his tail glowing silver. With four swipes of his tail, the boulders smashed into little pieces. This gave me the focus I needed to guide Blaze. We evaded the right first and landed the super effective attack on the Kangaskhan's chin. She growled in pain but was able to use her left fist to hit Blaze's right side. The Fire type winced, but took the damage well.

"Are you okay, Blaze?"

He rubbed his injured area. "Yeah, it's not too serious."

I looked at the other Pokémon. Marowak looked fine while Jupiter was lightly panting, still not fully recovered from his earlier battle.

I told Magma. "We need to finish this battle quickly. Let's try a combination."

He nodded. "Jupiter, Air Slash!"

The Charizard's wings flapped furiously, causing three slices of air to head towards our opponents. As Marowak and Kia prepared to cut through the attack, I saw what Magma wanted us to do.

"Blaze, Flamethrower on the Air Slash!"

He jumped up and covered the Flying type attack with the stream of flames. The fire surrounded the Air Slash, creating fiery blades that slashed through the Ground and Normal types. When it dissipated, both Pokémon fell to the ground, unable to move.

"NOOO!" Terra screamed, furious. "I can't lose! I need to avenge my island, and I can't let the boss down anymore!"

Magma calmly explained, "Terra, listen. The OIATO boss is someone who doesn't follow your creed."

"Impossible!" Sheila argued. "The boss is someone who wants to end the tyranny of hotels!"

He took out his Pokégear. "Look, I have proof!"

We looked at the screen and saw a video, waiting to play. Magma pressed it and to the OIATO members' surprise, it displayed the battle between him and the boss, Benny Naranja.

"Th-That can't be right..." Terra stuttered. "Th-That's the man who t-took over my island..."

Sheila growled, "That lying scoundrel... He told me he was an environmentalist who was tired of being stopped by the hotel industry..."

A loud thud echoed above us where Mr. Naranja and Drake were battling. Magma quickly put his device away. "We need to stop Benny Naranja once and for all!"

Sheila and Terra looked at each other and nodded. "We'll turn ourselves in; we've...done some terrible things. Go stop that lying Naranja!" Sheila shouted.

Magma and I waved in acknowledgment and after I returned Blaze, we took off into the sky. Forrest and Yuki rejoined us.

"Were you able to shake them off?" I asked.

Yuki happily nodded. "Yes, Detective Beach is taking care of them."

We looked at rooftop and saw Draco collapse. "Do we have a plan?"

Forrest smirked. "Don't worry, Summer. They should be here soon."

Suddenly, a Pidgeot soared towards the battle scene. When we joined the Flying type, a cameraman was filming the action.

Detective Beach and a news crew burst onto the rooftop, startling the two Trainers. "Mr. Naranja," the female reporter pressed as she moved a microphone towards his mouth. "This is Tina Frutti of the Orange Islands News Network. Is it true you're the boss of the Orange Islands Anti-Tourist Organization?"

He tried to maintain his composure. "Th-That is a ridiculous statement. Do you have any proof of such an accusation?"

The detective smiled as he showed us a tape recorder. He played the incriminating evidence. {You see, any reputation depends on image. How you look, what your beliefs are, what you do... So what if I manipulate the image of my competitors? Will they succeed, or will they fail?}

"Who...Who took this?!" Mr. Naranja slowly erupted. "But this is not enough! Besides, you have no physical evidence."

But he was horrified when Terra and Sheila appeared in handcuffs. An officer informed us, "These ladies escorted us to a safe where all OIATO assignments are stored...and for all completed assignments they are signed and stamped with a seal similar to the symbol of the Naranja Hotel. We compared the signature to Mr. Naranja's and they match. We also found some copies of documents that were believed to incriminate other people in the hotel industry."

This gave the news crew and the police everything they needed. "Mr. Benny Naranja. You are under arrest for greed, fraud, and attempted destruction of the Orange Islands."

More officers grabbed the hotel owner and subdued his Charizard to sleep, reverting the Pokémon back to his original form. As they led the disgraced man and his accomplices away, Drake returned his injured Dragonite.

"Benny...all of this to outshine your father..." He then saw us land on the rooftop, and his smile returned. "Kids, you did really well. I'm impressed you were able to get that confession and convince the other OIATO members to surrender."

"Thank you, Drake," Magma said as he and Forrest saluted the Orange Crew leader.

"Why don't we celebrate on the Eevee Showboat after we finish taking care of the paperwork?" Detective Beach suggested. "I'm sure Daisy and the others are worried about us."

Yuki nodded. "Good idea. Let's head downstairs."

 **Later that day...**

After a long day of providing relief and support for the tourists and residents of Kumquat Island, we had a special dinner with the Orange Crew, Detective Beach, Forrest, and Magma. As we feasted on sandwiches and homemade lemonades Will prepared, Drake raised a toast.

"I want to thank everyone involved for stopping OIATO from destroying the balance on the Orange Islands. The Orange Islands Crew will ensure that the residents, tourists, and everyone in between will work together to help the islands now and in the future."

"I agree to that!" Daisy cheered, and we clinked glasses.

After the meal, Yuki and I talked to Forrest and Magma. As the three happily conversed, I was relieved Yuki had her friends again.

"So what are you going to do now, Magma?" Yuki asked.

Magma shrugged. "The International Police is giving me a break for being in deep cover for so long. I am going to visit Terra and Sheila in jail; I'm happy the police will give them reduced charges for helping with the investigation."

"Me too." Forrest looked at his best friend. "Magma, want to have a friendly battle?"

The red-haired teen laughed. "All right. Let's do a one on one. I'll race you outside!"

They laughed and ran to the deck. Yuki and I were about to follow them when Luana and Drake approached me. "Go ahead, Yuki. I'll catch up." She nodded and followed her friends outside.

"Summer," Luana announced. "I know we haven't finished our battle, but the Orange Crew and I talked about it. We decided that I'll give you my badge, if you have an unofficial battle with Drake."

"A-A battle with Drake? Why?"

The leader stepped forward. "I saw your performance during the Indigo League and I want to see your potential in future regional tournaments. It'll just be a one on one battle."

I pondered this decision. "Okay, I accept the offer. I've been thinking about something for a while now, and I feel this is the best time to do it."

Drake raised his right eyebrow. "Oh? What might that be, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well...I've been thinking about evolving my Onix for a while now. But I don't know if that'll help him."

The man softly smiled. "I see. I think I have the perfect Pokémon for our battle. We'll battle on Pummelo Island, where my battles take place. Daisy should know how to get there."

I nodded. "Thanks, Drake. I'll do my best."

Luana handed me a light purple conch shell with a light green jeweled star. "Here, Summer. The Jade Star Badge. Despite not beating me in battle, you saved the Orange Islands. That's good enough for me."

I took the badge and placed it into my badge case. "Thanks, Luana. I appreciate it."

Drake added, "I look forward to our battle. Take care, Summer."

I waved the leaders goodbye and joined Yuki in watching the teens battle. Afterwards, we said our goodbyes and went to bed. I thought which Pokémon Drake would use for our battle before drifting off to sleep. Hopefully, that Pokémon would be the final reason for Rocky's evolution.

 **Pokémon: Blaze** **(Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls** **(Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning** **(Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower** **(Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What did you think about the OIATO boss?

Should any of the OIATO members return in future stories?

How will Summer do against Drake?


	24. OI 23

**After a fierce battle and some sneaky maneuvers, Summer and her friends were able to defeat OIATO, bringing an end to the string of hotel disasters. In exchange for Luana's Gym Badge, Drake challenged Summer to a one on one battle. The Eevee Showboat has arrived on Pummelo Island, the location of Drake's battlefield. While Summer has chosen her Pokémon, Drake's choice gives her a great disadvantage. Who is the Pokémon and will Summer defeat the strongest Trainer in the Orange Islands?**

 **Chapter 23- Battle of the Giants**

We arrived on Pummelo Island early so I could train Rocky for our battle against Drake. After several days, the day had finally come. It was strange, walking through the island where the strongest Trainers in the Orange Islands test their strength against the leader of the Orange Crew. I never expected to battle Drake, even if I got all of the badges. After all, his Dragonite, Draco, was legendary for his species, being able to use so many moves during battle.

"Are you ready, Summer?" Yuki asked as we approached a three-story orange coliseum with a marble Dragonite statue in front of the entryway.

I took a deep breath. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Yuki looked at her Pokégear. "There's still some time before your battle. Why don't you talk to Rocky? I'll see where Aunt Daisy and the rest of the crew are."

I smiled. "I'm glad they still want to see my battle. See you later." After my friend left, I let out all of my Pokémon in the courtyard. "Guys, I want your honest opinion. I've been thinking about this for a while now. Should Rocky evolve?"

Everyone looked at the Rock type, who was unnerved by the five pairs of eyes staring at him.

Errol tilted his head. "Ms. Summer. What is Mr. Rocky's evolution?"

I looked for the entry in my Pokédex. [Steelix, the Iron Snake Pokémon and the evolved form of Onix. Steelix live even further underground than Onix. This Pokémon is known to dig toward the earth's core, reaching a depth of over six-tenths of a mile underground.]

"Ah… A mixture of Steel and Ground…"

Blaze gave his opinion based on his battle experience. "You'll be weak against Fire types if you change from Rock to Steel."

"But then he'll become immune to Poison type moves," Lightning pointed out. "And he won't be as weak to Ice and Grass types."

"Excellent points, Mr. Blaze and Ms. Lightning."

Swirls sighed as she crossed her arms. "Well, it's gotta come down to what's on his mind. Whatcha think, Rocky dude?"

"Yes, what do you think, Rocky?" Flower gently asked.

The Rock Snake Pokémon looked at his teammates then at me. "Summer, I'm still unsure about evolving. But I'll make my decision after I battle alongside you."

I smiled. "Sounds good to me. It's almost time to enter the stadium. Can the rest of you cheer in the stands?"

Lightning was very excited. "You bet, Summer!"

"So are you and Rocky ready, Summer?" Daisy asked as they approached the stadium.

I nodded. "We'll do our best. Can you guys watch the rest of my Pokémon?"

She beamed. "Of course. The Eeveelutions also want to watch."

Will laughed, "And our Pokémon too!"

Marybelle smirked. "They do like to watch their friends battle, especially with those they performed with."

Yuki added, "We'll watch them, as well as my Pokémon!"

"Thanks, everyone. Are you ready, Rocky?" He nodded and I returned him to his ball. I waved goodbye to everyone and walked through the stadium doors.

The hallway was narrow and dimly lit. When I exited the other end, I was temporarily blinded by the sunlight pouring through the open roof. After I regained my sight, not only did I see Drake standing opposite me on a large dirt battlefield, I saw Cissy, Danny, Rudy, and Luana watching from the stands across from my friends.

Drake placed his hands into his front pockets. "So, Summer, I've been waiting for our battle. Let's see how strong you are. This is an unofficial battle, so we'll judge our Pokémon to see if they should continue. You will have the first move, of course."

I nodded. "That's fine with me. Go Rocky!"

"Ferro, I summon you!"

I was surprised to see a Steelix, who slightly towered over the already tall Onix. _Darn, Drake is already at an advantage...but I know we'll find a way to beat them..._

Once Drake motioned me to start, I shouted, "Rocky, Rock Throw!"

As my Onix hurled a boulder at his opponent, Drake smirked. "Ferro, Rock Slide!"

The larger Pokémon roared, causing boulders to form above us and fall towards the ground. The Rock Throw was neutralized by the falling rocks, and Rocky was hit by three boulders. He growled, trying to hide the pain.

Drake moved his right arm towards the ground, "Dig!" With a jumping head start, Ferro buried into the field and disappeared from view.

Instead of worrying about where Ferro was, I commanded, "Rocky, use Iron Tail on the ground!"

The Rock type softly nodded and smashed the silver tail onto the dirt. The field cracked from the sudden impact, revealing a slightly startled Steelix. Rocky smacked Ferro's right cheek, but the move didn't do much because of the type disadvantage.

"Nice strategy, Summer," Drake complemented as Ferro stood up. "But you have a ways to go. Ferro, Iron Head!"

 _I never heard of such a move!_ The Iron Snake Pokémon charged at Rocky, his head glowing silver. But I have to do something! "Rocky, block with Iron Tail!"

Despite the Iron Tail halting the advance, Ferro pushed through and slammed into Rocky's body. The Onix was pushed into the wall to my left; the protective barrier rippling from the disturbance.

"Are you okay, Rocky?"

He returned to our box and looked at me determinedly. "Yes, I can continue."

 _That Steelix is really strong! But I can't give in, especially if Rocky wants to keep going._ I looked at the stands and saw the small crowds cheering for us. It gave us a new sense of confidence. "Let's use that strategy Yuki taught us." After a firm nod, I shouted, "Crunch!"

As Rocky lunged forward, Drake commanded, "Iron Head!"

When they became closer, I yelled, "Dragonbreath!"

The leader was stunned as the green flames surrounded his Pokémon. Despite Ferro trying to push through, the Dragon type move caused electric sparks to emit from his body. The Steelix immediately stopped the charge and roared in pain. Rocky, though panting, smirked as his opponent winced from the paralysis.

Drake laughed. "That's a pretty smart combination, Summer. Using the Crunch as a decoy and relying on the Dragonbreath for the paralysis. Ferro and I haven't had this much trouble before from an Onix. But the battle ends here! Ferro, Hyper Beam!" The Iron Snake Pokémon opened his mouth and charged a ball of white energy.

I looked at Rocky. "This is it! Rock Throw, full power!"

The Rock Snake Pokémon growled with determination then roared at the sky. Boulders formed in the air and crashed down onto the battlefield. Although most hit Ferro and made him lose some of the Hyper Beam's strength, he was still able to aim the powerful beam of energy at Rocky. Both Pokémon succumbed to their injuries and fell onto the field, unable to move.

"Rocky!" I worriedly shouted as I ran to him. As he wearily looked at me, I grabbed a handful of Berries from my backpack. He tried to speak, but I quietly said, "You did really well, Rocky. And you learned how to use Rock Slide. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Summer…" he whispered.

Drake returned Ferro and approached us. He gently placed a hand on Rocky's head and sighed deeply. "Rocky really reminds me of Ferro when he was an Onix. I really miss those times."

"Then why did you let Ferro evolve?"

Drake gave me a sincere smile. "Because he wanted to. He wanted to get stronger because he felt he was the weakest on my team. I felt his willpower and knew that would make him happy."

Rocky rose and a fire burned in his eyes. "Summer. I think I understand how everybody felt when they evolved. They wanted to become stronger to help you, to see you happy. I...I...I want to do the same. I want to get better so I can continue to help you."

"Are you sure, Rocky? It'll be permanent." He nodded. I laughed, trying to hide a tear. He'd grown so much, from a Pokémon abandoned for his lack of strength, to becoming one of my hardest-working and most loyal Pokémon.

I hugged him. "Okay, let's evolve you as soon as we can."

"How about tomorrow?" Drake suggested. "There's a trading event on Pummelo Island, where Trainers trade their Pokémon with others around the Orange Islands, Kanto, and Johto. You get paired with a partner, who will trade you a Pokémon, usually one they want to evolve. After the traded Pokémon evolves, then the Trainers trade back to regain their original Pokémon. It's been pretty popular, what with people wanting trade evolutions."

"That sounds great! I even have the Metal Coat needed for Rocky to evolve."

Drake grinned. "Then good luck, Summer and Rocky. You gave me a tough battle, and it wasn't even an official one. Good luck with your next region, and if you see Red, tell him I said hi."

"Of course, thank you, Drake." We shook hands and parted ways, with him going to the Gym Leaders and me to the Eevee Showboat crew.

 **Pokémon: Blaze** **(Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls** **(Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning** **(Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower** **(Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Slide, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What did you think about the battle?

Did Summer make the right choice in letting Rocky choose to evolve?

Who will be Summer's trading partner?


	25. OI 24

**Arriving on Pummelo Island for Summer's battle against Drake, she and Rocky decided this battle would determine their decision on the long debate of evolving the Onix. After a tough battle, Rocky was able to learn Rock Slide and tied with Drake's Steelix. Rocky decided to evolve to help Summer with his newfound strength. To help with that, Summer goes to a trading event at the Pokémon Center. But a blackout on the island causes Summer to bond with the Pokémon she received. Which Pokémon will it be, and who is the Pokémon's Trainer?**

 **Chapter 24- An Unexpected Trade**

Waking up from a very restful sleep, Yuki accompanied me off the Eevee Showboat to the Pokémon Center. The streets were wide and lined with training shops, most likely to help Trainers who want to battle Drake, the head of the Orange Crew.

Yuki pondered, "So who do you think will be your trading partner, Summer?"

"I don't know. Not only is it randomized, it also spans to the Kanto and Johto Regions. I just never expected that so many people need trade evolutions."

"Me either. It's hard to find someone who will not only trade with you, but also trade you back your Pokémon. It's nice that they have events like this. Are you going to rename Rocky?"

"I think it'll be better to keep his name. It'll be confusing if we change it."

Yuki giggled. "Very true. And you don't have to come up with a good nickname."

We laughed and continued our walk. A few minutes later, we arrived at the building, where excited Trainers were lining up outside. Yuki joined me in line, and we inched slowly into the Pokémon Center. After showing my Trainer ID, I received a ticket with a timestamp from a volunteer. As I peered around the crowd, I got a glimpse of a large metal machine. It was cylindrical, with flashing lights and a small monitor at the top and a glass case with a pedestal in the middle. A bold "1" was painted at the base. The nurse put a Pokéball inside the case and once the monitor flashed green, she pressed a red button next to the screen. Suddenly, a flash of white electricity hit the Pokéball, and the round object disappeared. The monitor then showed two Pokéballs moving in opposite directions across the screen. When the balls reached their destinations, a Pokéball reappeared in the machine. The nurse took it out of the chamber and informed an excited boy what to do next. Farther down, there were four other machines, working to increase the trading between the three regions.

I looked at my ticket and set an alarm on my Pokégear. "Hmm… At 11, I need to go to machine 3."

Yuki looked at the clock above the reception desk. "That's an hour from now. Why don't we watch some TV while we wait?"

"Sounds good to me." I glanced at the TV in the lobby. "It looks like it's showing the Pokémon League Association Network."

As we got closer, battle footage of Weldon appeared. I gripped the blue couch and slowly sat down. A male announcer said, "We are now just one day away from the Kanto Elite Four challenge. Weldon Leland, the 2004 Indigo League Winner, will challenge the Elite Four in the following order: Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha, and Lance. If he defeats all of them, he will have the right to challenge Red, the Kanto Champion. As usual, we will show the battles here, starting at 1pm. We will be back after this commercial break."

While a Pokémon cereal commercial flashed on the screen, I sighed. Yuki noticed and slyly asked, "Do you have a crush on Weldon?"

I was startled by her statement. "Wh-What gave you that idea, Yuki?!"

She giggled. "Your reactions. You watched that segment intently, as if you were worried about him. Plus, I remember your facial expressions and your response when we were on Kumquat Island. You do have feelings for him, don't you?"

I brushed my hair with my right hand. "It's...complicated… I don't think he wants to see me again after the way I treated him during the tournament."

She gently clasped my hand. "I'm sure he wants to talk to you, especially when he confessed what happened to you after the tournament. Why not try talking to him when you see him again?"

I sighed. "I'll think about it." My Pokégear vibrated. "Oh, it's time for me to go machine 3."

"Okay, I'll wait for you outside."

I nodded and headed to the machine. Once I got there, the volunteer helped me put Rocky's Pokéball into the machine. After a few seconds, the ball slowly disappeared and I watched the monitor. The two Pokéballs traveled between the Orange Islands and the Kanto Region.

 _Hmm...Rocky's going to Viridian City. I wonder what I'll get._

Right when the Pokéball from the Trainer in Kanto arrived, the building lights flickered, then went dark. {Trainers,} an announcement came onto the PA system. {There has been an unscheduled blackout throughout the Orange Islands. Trading will be delayed to whenever we can restore power. If you have received the Pokémon you exchanged for, please allow them to evolve and care for them until the power is restored.}

Luckily, the case could be manually opened and I was able to safely grab the ball with the volunteer's help. As the other people shuffled about, I clutched the Pokéball and walked outside. Yuki walked over to me. "I heard what happened, Summer. Why don't we spend some time with the Pokémon you got?"

"I agree. Let's see who it is." I opened the Pokéball and out came a Graveler. For some strange reason, he looked familiar. "Have I seen you before?"

Before the Rock type could answer, he was surrounded by a glowing white light. He grew bigger and rounder, with two arms instead of four. When the light faded, he looked more like a rocky cannonball rather than a rock.

[Golem, the Megaton Pokémon and the evolved form of Graveler. It is said to live in volcanic craters on mountain peaks. Once a year, it sheds its hide and grows larger. The shed hide crumbles and returns to the soil.]

"What do you mean he looks familiar, Summer?" my friend asked, confused.

The Golem instantly recognized my name and shouted in a deep gravelly voice, "Summer! It's been a while."

"It certainly has, Golem." I gave Yuki an awkward smile. "Yuki, this Golem is one of Weldon's Pokémon."

"No way!" she gasped. "What are the odds of that happening?"

"I know, right? Anyway, Golem, what do you want to do? We have plenty of time until the power comes back on."

Our stomachs growled. "How about lunch first?"

We laughed. "All right, let's eat!"

 **Later that day…**

After receiving news that the power would be restored soon, Yuki, Golem and I waited outside the Pokémon Center to trade him back as soon as possible.

"Thanks for the meal, Summer!" Golem happily said. "We've been dieting since we started training."

I giggled. "It's good to have a break every once in awhile. Plus, you burned off the calories by practicing with my Pokémon."

After a good laugh, Yuki asked, "Are you guys ready to battle tomorrow?"

The Rock type scratched his head. "I think so. I'm not going to be used too much until Agatha and Lance. But Weldon's really determined to win."

I became quiet. _Did he revert back to his old philosophy?_

Golem saw my worried face. "Don't worry, Summer. He's been making sure we don't train so hard. He cares about us more than he did when he started his journey."

I softly smiled. "That's good to hear. I wish you could relay a message for me, but he doesn't understand you."

The Rock type was stunned. "You really want to talk to him? Even after what happened during the Indigo League?"

I sighed. "Yes. What I told him inside that locker room, I didn't know the full story. Now that I do...I hope he can forgive me."

"I have an idea!" Yuki rummaged through her bag and pulled out a notepad and a black pen. "Why don't you write him a note and have Golem hold onto it?"

"That's a great idea, Yuki! Is that okay, Golem?"

He beamed. "I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

I immediately took the writing tools and scribbled down a short but hopefully impactful note.

 **An hour later…**

"We apologize for the delay, Summer," the volunteer said after the trade was complete.

I smiled, slightly confusing her. "That's all right. Besides, I had a great time bonding with Golem."

"I'm glad! Have a good day."

"Thanks, you too!" I exited the building, where Yuki and my Pokémon were waiting.

"Oohhh...this is so exciting!" Lightning squealed.

Blaze chuckled. "We haven't had an evolved teammate in a while."

Flower and Swirls quietly waited to see their friend while Errol circled the sky impatiently. I threw the Pokéball into the air, and out came Rocky. He was much taller and covered in iron instead of rocks. A moment of quiet, then...

"Welcome back, Rocky!" Flower shouted as she gently wrapped her vines around her friend.

He laughed and lightly nudged her. "Thanks, Flower," he replied, his voice much deeper.

Errol perched on the Steel type's head. "What a much taller viewpoint from here."

Rocky heartily replied, "It's something to get used to, but I'm glad you like it, Errol."

"Rocky dude! Whatcha feel about your new look?"

Rocky smiled. "I like it. But I do need to practice battling again. And I know the two who can really help the most."

Lightning excitedly flicked her tail. "Then you better watch out, Rocky!" She playfully lunged at the Steelix and they play wrestled.

Blaze sighed, softly smiling at the Raichu. "You always want to battle... Don't forget me!"

"And us!" everyone else chimed in.

I was so ecstatic about my team's strong bond with each other that I joined in on the fun. We laughed and spent the rest of the day getting used to Rocky's new size and typing.

 **Pokémon: Blaze** **(Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut**

 **Errol** **(Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck**

 **Swirls** **(Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch**

 **Lightning** **(Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch**

 **Flower** **(Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder**

 **Rocky** **(Steelix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Slide, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail**

 **Questions for the Chapter:**

What did you think of the trading event?

Did you expect Summer to get Weldon as her trading partner?


	26. OI SC 2

**Welcome to the second and final side chapter of the Orange Islands story! This is what happened on Weldon's side of the trade.**

 **Side Chapter 2: A Champion's Effort**

 _I hope this isn't a huge waste..._ Weldon thought as he waited to use the trade machine at the Viridian City Pokémon Center. _I'm not going to use Graveler much for the Elite Four battles, so it'll be easier for me to adjust to his new evolution._

His thoughts were interrupted by the shouting from Caleb Caedmon, his annoying Trainer agent. "Get a move on, people! My client needs to use the machine! Dual Chop, man!"

Everyone in front of the boy glared at him. Weldon groaned. "Caleb, stop. I'm going to wait in line, like everyone else."

The man in the gray suit and bright yellow tie briskly walked to the Trainer. "Come on, Weldon. What's the point of being a league winner if you don't use your status to get what you want?"

Whispers immediately circulated through the line.

"Isn't that the Trainer who's going to challenge the Elite Four tomorrow?"

"I doubt he's going to make it past Lance."

"Even if he did, he'll never beat Red. He's been undefeated for six years!"

"Great, Caleb," Weldon angrily complained. "Now you made things worse...I wanted to keep a low profile."

Caleb scoffed. "If you want to be a great Trainer, Weldon, you can't be silent about your accomplishments. I'll just wait for you at the cafeteria. Don't forget, you have a training session at 11:30, then a press conference at 3."

As the agent brushed his blonde hair back and walked away, Weldon couldn't help but wish he could be elsewhere. After all, based on Samir's intel, his rival was traveling in a new region, meeting new people, and getting involved with stopping criminals. He envied her; the freedom he wanted was out of his grasp.

After ten minutes, he walked to a machine, whirring impatiently for a new Pokéball to send. He placed Graveler's Pokéball into the glass case and watched it disappear. The screen showed it traveling to a large island within an archipelago. _Hmm...that looks like the Orange Islands. I wonder which Pokémon I'm getting._

A new Pokéball appeared in the machine, and Weldon took it out. After receiving the instructions to let the Pokémon out to evolve and to return once the evolution was complete, he walked to the courtyard and let out the unknown Pokémon. It was an Onix, who had a metallic box balanced on his head.

"An Onix?" he mused. "His Trainer must want him to evolve into a Steelix."

The Rock Snake Pokémon looked at the boy and seemed to instantly recognize him. Weldon didn't seem to notice the expression as the Metal Coat glowed silver. The light slowly surrounded him, making him grow larger and adding four spikes along his body. When it disappeared, a Steelix stood in the Onix's place.

Weldon, now having a chance to ask the Steelix about his name, was about to speak when he was rudely interrupted again. This time, someone he didn't want to hear from. "What's taking you so long?!" Caleb whined as he strutted towards the two. He looked at the Steel type and scoffed, "THAT's what you got off of the trade?! Why would anyone want a Steelix anyway?"

The Steelix, enraged, slammed the agent's body into the nearby trees. The boy hid a grin as the man wheezed from the strength of the Iron Snake Pokémon's tail.

"Well, I guess it's time for you to return to your Trainer, Steelix." But before Weldon could return him, the PA went off. {Due to the current blackout throughout the Orange Islands, any return trades done to this region will be delayed until the electricity is returned to the region.}

Caleb recovered from the injury and yelled, "Great, just great! How can my Trainer train without his newly evolved Golem!"

The Pokémon slightly tilted his head. Weldon saw this and explained, "Let me introduce myself. My name's Weldon. I became the Indigo League Regional Winner this year. I'm battling the Elite Four tomorrow, and I wanted my Graveler to evolve so he can handle battles better. I wasn't planning to use him during the first two Elite Four battles anyway."

The boy disappointedly looked at the man still fuming over the blackout. "And that's Caleb Caedmon, my agent. He's been promoting me ever since I won the tournament. Between you and me, he's a real Sudowoodo in the mud, as he likes to say." After getting some chuckles from the Steel type, he asked, "Steelix, why don't you train with us? I could use some help with training."

He nodded and slithered opposite of the Trainer, ready to battle.

"Alright then, here it goes!"

 **Later that day...**

"Whew!" Weldon gasped as he sat on the bench outside the Pokémon Center. _That Steelix is really tough; even Arcanine and Gyarados had trouble! I wish I could talk to him. I wonder…_

He looked at the Iron Snake Pokémon conversing with his team. Despite meeting him earlier in the day, they really enjoyed the newcomer's presence. The boy smiled, as he slowly realized the Steelix's identity.

Caleb burst out of the building, excited about something. "I have great news, Weldon! The nurses said the Orange Islands have restored power, and the trading will resume soon. Then you can finally get your Golem and get rid of that annoying Steelix." When the insulted Pokémon growled and began to approach, the man backed away, quickly retracting his statement. "D-Did I say annoying? I-I meant… awesome… Yeah, awesome!"

He then sprinted away, causing the Trainer and Pokémon to laugh. Weldon got up and said, "Okay everyone, it's time to say goodbye to Steelix."

After the team waved farewell, Weldon softly smirked. "Oh, and one thing before you go." Steelix curiously looked at him. "Rocky...tell Summer I said hi."

Rocky nodded and nuzzled Weldon's open hand before returning to his Pokéball.

 **Ten minutes later…**

"Come on out, Golem!"

The newly evolved Rock type crashed onto the field and gave his Trainer a big smile. Weldon then noticed he was carrying something.

"What's in your hand, Golem?" The Pokémon eagerly handed his Trainer a piece of paper.

Weldon began to read it and was shocked at the message.

 _Dear Weldon,_

 _I'd never thought you'd be my trading partner. I heard you've been training hard for the Elite Four challenge. I really hope you do well. I...I still feel really bad about how I treated you during the Indigo League… I know now you had nothing to do with my attack and injury, and I want to take back what I said about not seeing you again. Whenever that time may be, I want to apologize to you in person. And hopefully...we can be friends…_

 _Good luck,_

 _Summer Scorcher_

Weldon shed a happy tear, ecstatic to hear from her. _I hope so too, Summer…_

He turned to his Pokémon, who were ready to battle against the strongest Trainers in the Kanto Region. "Guys! Let's show everyone how strong we are!"

As they cheered, they didn't see the agent staring at them from a safe distance, writing something down in his notepad.


	27. OI 25 (End)

**After the tough battle against Drake, Summer and Rocky decided it was time for him to evolve. At a trading event on Pummelo Island, Summer received a Pokémon from a Trainer she never expected from: Weldon's Golem. She bonded with the Rock type and learned more about Weldon's training for the Kanto Elite Four. Later, she regained Rocky, who was now a happy Steelix. The Eevee Showboat lands on the last island of their tour, as well as the island where Summer needs to board a ferry to the next region. Where will she go, and will someone join her?**

 **Chapter 25- The Final Curtain**

Daisy gave us a crew pep talk as the Eevee Showboat sailed to Hamlin Island. It was an island closest to the Kanto and Johto Regions, so many Trainers gathered there to board the ferries. The owner ended the discussion with a solemn note. "It's...now time for the last island on our tour…"

"It's been six months already?" Yuki gasped. "Time sure went by fast."

Daisy chuckled. "Yes it did. Anyway, not only will we be performing our last show for the season, it'll also be Summer's last show with us." She turned to me, making me blush a little. "Let's give it our all and close out the season right!"

After we clapped and ended the crew meeting, Lightning and I walked outside and watched the twinkling stars blanketing the black sky.

"Summer…" Lightning asked. "Where are we going next?"

"Hmm...I guess we can head to the Johto Region. What do you think?"

"That sounds fine, but I'm going to miss everyone..."

I affectionately rubbed the Raichu's head. "I know what you mean. We've really bonded with Yuki and the Eevee Showboat crew."

Footsteps slowly approached us. "Hi, Summer," Daisy greeted. "Is it okay if I join you?"

"Sure, Daisy. I really appreciate you allowing us to stay on your showboat."

She giggled and replied, "Not at all. You really helped us out this year. With the setup, shows, and the occasional incident or two, we're all going to miss you." She then took a deep breath. "I also want to thank you for helping Yuki recover from her Grand Festival loss. She's really improved, both mentally and competitively. I can't thank you enough."

"I'm happy to help. I really like being with her. I hope she'll do well in the next region she visits."

The woman nervously looked at her Pokégear. "Oh, look...it's getting late. Let's get some sleep for the last show."

I was a little confused, but replied, "O-Okay..."

 **The next day...**

"All right, team," Daisy addressed as we waited in the recording booth for show time. "It's time for the last show of the season, our long anticipated crossover of _Trial by Triage_ and _Detective Moonflower_. We've practiced hard and our Pokémon are prepared. So let's go!"

We eagerly put on our headsets and started the show. As the show played out, we were more engrossed in our roles. Our Pokémon reacted positively, making the play more exciting and dramatic for the captivated audience. When Buckeye and Detective Moonflower solved the case, the crowd gave us a standing ovation. Daisy then led us onstage next to the Pokémon, and we bowed to the enthusiastic applause.

Daisy grabbed a microphone and said, "Thank you everyone who came to our final show for the season. We'll be back next year, starting on Tangelo Island. Now, let's begin our 90-minute meet and greet session."

As the crowd clapped and formed a line, Will and I set up a long table and five chairs on the stage. Charge and Pyro monitored the line and allowed groups of five to walk on the wooden stage and meet each of us.

While I signed autographs and talked to fans, both about the performance and my battling, I thought about this quick but exciting journey.

" _A showboat? I've heard about them, but I've never seen one before! What kind of shows does your aunt do?"_

" _Well...where do I begin? She specializes in skits and dances around her Eeveelutions."_

" _Eeveelutions! She's so lucky! How many does she have?"_

" _I think she has six, including her Eevee, Buckeye. But she is pretty lucky. I love watching her shows; they're some of the reasons why I became a Coordinator."_

" _Hey, Yuki. Why don't we help each other with our battling? You help me come up with strategies, and I'll help you with bonding during battles."_

 _"Yeah, I'd like that. I think it'll help both of our endeavors."_

 _"After a fierce battle, the winners of the match and the best overall performance category goes to the members of the Eevee Showboat! Let's give a hand to our winners!"_

 _Thank you for all your help. Without everyone, this wouldn't have even happened."_

" _Summer. I think I understand how everybody felt when they evolved. They wanted to become stronger to help you, to see you happy. I...I...I want to do the same. I want to get better so I can continue to help you."_

 _This trip...it really helped me recover from the Indigo League. No matter which place I get in the next league, I've been through worse._

"Alright, everyone. Our meet and greet session is over. Don't forget your belongings and have a safe trip home!"

The crowd slowly dissipated, until we were last in the auditorium. "Summer, Yuki," Daisy suggested. "Why don't you two relax? Cleanup won't be too much."

"Are you sure, Daisy?"

The owner nodded. "We'll be fine. Go on."

"Thank you, Aunt Daisy."

We walked onto the deck, our Pokémon playing and relaxing.

"So what are you going to do, Summer?" Yuki asked as we looked at the constellations.

"Well...we're planning to do the Silver League in Johto. I think I'm ready to continue traveling and to do another tournament. What about you?"

She looked unsure. "I...I don't know yet. I want to do Contests again. But…I don't know where."

I smiled and suggested, "Why don't you come with me to Johto? It'll be fun traveling with you some more."

She nervously stroked her hair. "I...I wish I could, Summer, but I still have to help Aunt Daisy on the showboat during the summer. I can't spend a year traveling."

I was slightly disappointed. "Oh, okay. Maybe we'll see each other again?"

She softly chuckled. "Of course. And let's have another battle."

"Yeah. I'd like that." We ended our conversation and continued looking at the stars.

* * *

Inside the lobby, Daisy sighed, trying to hide her disappointment. As she buried her face into her hands and took a deep breath, Will walked by and noticed her unusual posture.

"What's wrong, Daisy?" he asked, worried about his supervisor. "Is the final show of the season getting you down?"

She looked at the man and wiped away a tear. "Oh no, Will. It's not about the show."

They sat on the stairs, making sure they were out of earshot. Daisy explained, "I overheard the conversation the girls had about their next journeys. Yuki doesn't want to go with Summer."

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought for sure she said yes. Why doesn't she want to go?"

Daisy started to cry again. "B-Because… she...wants to keep helping me… Am I forcing her to sacrifice her journey to help on the showboat?"

Will was saddened by Daisy's confession and offered her a tissue. "No, you're not. I think Yuki worries about you very much. After all, you're the only family she has left. But we can always hire someone to help us. We can manage without Yuki. She needs to keep traveling and learn more about the world."

Daisy suddenly hugged her employee, startling him. "Thank you, Will…" she whispered.

He returned the gesture, blushing. The smell of fresh flowers wafted from her hair. "Of course, Daisy."

"Well, finally! That took forever!" The two were startled by Marybelle eyeing them from the staircase.

"M-Marybelle…" Daisy stuttered. "How long have you been there?"

The old lady smirked. "Long enough. Old people are good at quietly observing their surroundings. I agree with Will. Let Yuki travel longer; she'll enjoy it more than traveling with us for three months out of the year. As for you two, you make a great pair. I saw it forming when Will joined us, and even more every day. Don't let the work relationship get too much in the way." She chuckled and walked away, leaving the two alone again.

* * *

The next morning, I packed up my things and looked around the cabin. It was as clean as when I first boarded, but it felt emptier. As Lightning and I walked to the lobby, I stared at each of the main rooms. _I'm going to miss this ship...the performances, the food, the people._

When I arrived, the crew, Yuki, and Ichigo were waiting for us.

We bowed to the members. "I really appreciate you letting us stay on the showboat, Daisy."

She walked over and hugged me. "It's no trouble at all, Summer. Thank you for helping us with our shows. You're welcome to visit anytime."

"Yes, dear," Marybelle happily added as she lightly touched my hand. "You have been such a wonderful addition to our team. I hope your next journey will bring you much joy."

After hugging the knowledgeable woman, Will extended his hand. "Yes, Summer. I'm going to miss cooking for you. Good luck in Johto."

I firmly shook his hand. "Thanks, Will. I'm really going to miss your food too. You always make the best homemade pastas."

We laughed, then I turned to Yuki, who had tears slowly streaming down her face. Before I could say anything, Daisy said, "Yuki, I want to talk to you about something. Will you be happier if you travel with Summer?"

Yuki was startled. "B-But Aunt D-Daisy… Wh-What about the showboat?"

The three looked at each other and smiled. Will offered her a tissue, and the girl wiped her tears. "We always appreciate your help on the showboat, Yuki," Daisy reassured. "But there's more to life than helping out here. You should be free to travel without worrying about us. Go with Summer. You won't regret it."

Yuki looked at her partner, and he solemnly nodded. She then hugged her aunt. "All right, Aunt Daisy. Thank you…"

The relatives embraced for a long time. As Daisy wiped a tear from her eye, Will gently wiped it away.

Yuki giggled. "I can't believe you two took this long, Aunt Daisy."

"You two, Yuki? How does everyone know about this?"

I awkwardly smiled. I didn't see the relationship anymore than friendly, but I didn't want to admit it.

Yuki smiled at me. "Let me get my bag, Summer."

"Okay, I'll be here."

After she ran back to her cabin, Daisy gently asked, "Can you take care of Yuki for me, Summer?"

I nodded. "Of course, Daisy. And I know she'll do the same with me too."

"I'm back, Summer!" my friend shouted, her light blue handbag dangling around her left shoulder. Ichigo happily kept into the pouch and peeked his head out.

Lightning wistfully sighed. "I miss when I was that small."

I chuckled as I patted her head. "Well, we should head to the pier and get our tickets to Johto."

Yuki grinned. "Okay. Bye, everyone!"

"Goodbye, Yuki!" Daisy said, and the three members waved us off. We disembarked for the showboat and looked at the ferry terminal ten docks away.

"Yuki," I admitted. "I'm really glad you're joining us."

"Me too. I'll race you to the terminal!"

"You're on!"

We laughed and ran to the building, eager to start our next journey together.

 **Thank you everyone for reading Summer's next journey in the Orange Islands. Although it's shorter than the first one, I hope it still had the same excitement and suspense.** **I want to thank everyone who's read and reviewed my story, especially WyldClaw and Fancyyy! I also want to thank my editor (a.k.a. my sister) for editing my chapters.**

 **The Hall of Fame for this story will no longer be updated, but this feature will return for the next main story, which will be posted in December. There's going to be collaboration chapters and suggested characters in the next story, so stay tuned!**

 **Thanks again for reading my second story, and I hope you enjoy the next one, Johto: Accepting Destiny! :)**


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